G on Alvarado
by Sleepy Sheep Guardian
Summary: AU KR For Rei's second year of college everything started at the bus stop. And unfortunately, he does mean everything. DISCONTINUED.
1. The Roommate

In response to a lack of KR, a group of fanatics got together and decided to plot. The end result is this contest and more information can be found at the forum simply known as _KaRe Wave_. Check it out. You shall get a cookie. Enjoy.

_G on Alvarado  
_First Stop – The Roommate  
Disclaimer: I do not (nor do I foresee to ever) own Beyblade. Weep.

**ooo**

The apartment complex was two blocks from the bus stop. Quaint, with flower beds around the walkways and sticker-decorated message boxes on every door, anyone could stroll in without hassle…even that respectable-looking young man carrying a decrepit box of questionable contents that stunk of opium.

Interesting.

'Another party,' Rei reasoned as he locked up and walked toward the parking lot. He pulled on his only pair of gloves and hastily placed his earbuds in. If the complex police came by again, he didn't want to be able to give a comment about it.

Balling his fingers against his palm, Rei suppressed a shiver and scurried across the bike circle. A soft hum came from the buds, along with a bucket of static. He fumbled with his mp3 as a bicyclist narrowly nicked his elbow as it hugged the corner.

"Damn freshmen."

Rei plotted borrowing the keys to Takao's Mercury one day and driving through campus to…lower the student population. Everyone would thank him. And if they didn't, Takao would laugh his ass off as he bailed Rei out of the campus asylum. Did their campus even have an asylum?

'Probably, considering the tuition and amount of construction equipment piled against the lecture halls,' he mused.

He took his place beside his fellow students and stuffed his hands deeper into his sweatshirt pocket. Rei wrung his fingers together as his gloves were so care-worn they were practically fingerless. He took a step backwards and huddled with the rest like penguins. Backpacks rubbed against each other and rain boots shuffled along the cobblestone. Barely anyone showed skin. Every exhale produced a puff of steam. Rei took it all in with one short, furtive glance. It was the first day of the new quarter.

–_I know we were, yeah ye-aaa—zzzttt…_

Rei inhaled sharply, flinched at the pain from the cold, and pulled out his player. He had run out of batteries.

Biting back a curse, Rei removed the buds from his ears and quickly stuffed the device into a side pocket of his backpack. His hands dove back into the unipocket and this time he did shiver. A large puff of warmth left him, and a new body of heat took its place to his right.

Rei welcomed the new member to the shivering masses, but it took him two…three seconds before he noticed an inconsistency. No puffs.

Rei blamed his curiosity on a lack of musical distraction. His golden eyes stole a look to the right and he had to fight back a laugh. The guy next to him had a scarf wrapped around his mouth.

'Kind of like an assassin…or a ninja,' Rei checked for the bus again and then stared at the ground. 'Or like when people are sick. Maybe he's sick. How considerate, no exhalation, no germs…no puffs.' He rocked back on his heels. 'No puffs…puffless. Mr. Puffless…'

Rei's cheeks burned from the stupidity of it all. Was he really a college student?

"Damn cold, too," he added to his list.

The guy next to him turned his head and Rei (who would later regret doing so), out of habit, turned to meet him. Gold met mahogany…and white. Rei quickly turned away, biting down his fit of laughter with all the willpower he could muster until he felt the gaze lift off of him. Off to the side, he released his breath and as the bus rolled into its stop, Rei added yet another item to his list.

'Scarves,' he thought as he flashed his student ID to the driver and stepped onto the bus. 'Damn white scarves.'

Rei walked to the back of the bus and turned away from the incoming students. God help him should Mr. Puffless stand next to him again. It was a 10 minute ride to campus. He would surely combust. He didn't see where, but Rei was satisfied when the boy hadn't stood next to him. He reveled in the bus's heating system and looked out the frosted window. Alvarado…Covell Boulevard…next stop.

**ooo**

Five minutes in, an effervescent blond stepped on board and made his way to the rear. Rei waved him down.

"Rei!"

The blond maneuvered through the sea of students, threw his shoulder bag into a recently vacated seat ("Sure you don't want to sit down, Rei?") and sat down against it. He pulled his headphones down and shrugged off a much-too-orange jacket.

"It's so winter wonderland out there, huh?"

"It could do with some snow and a polar bear drinking Coke, but yeah, pretty winter-tastic I guess," Rei said.

"Makes me glad I have a two hour lecture first," he dug into his bag for his schedule. "It'll be a lot of Fairytales, but at least it'll be warm."

"Fairytales, Max?" The bus coasted to a stop and a flood of students came in. Rei clung to the pole as people jostled behind him. "You moved to a foreign country to take a course on fairytales?"

Max smiled. "Fairytales, Fables, and Myths!"

Rei stared him down until the smile faded to a lighthearted curve of the lips.

"Ok, I needed one more class; and everyone says it's an easy A," Max stuffed his schedule into a cargo pocket. "By the way, sorry we kicked you out of the loft."

Rei shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it. I found a place, didn't I? And it's not too far from where you, Takao and Kyouju are staying."

"I still feel bad. That two-bedroom would have been perfect for all of us!"

"Well, now we know to apply for apartments sooner," Rei swung his backpack around to his front and unzipped the largest section. "We'll get it next year. Be grateful you guys nailed that loft."

Max fiddled with his headphones. "I guess. I mean, it's kind of cramped, especially with Takao's kendo equipment and Kyouju's computers…but it's cozy. I bet you could have fit, too Rei. You don't have that much stuff and you're so tidy…"

"You just want a mother hen to keep the place from getting infested with roaches," he said. "Forget about it. The one-bedroom I'm sharing now is decent for the price," he continued digging around his binders, simultaneously holding onto the pole with his foot.

"And your roomie? He's not a schizophrenic axe-murderer with a foot fetish is he?"

Rei lost his grip and just about caused a domino effect with the students behind him as the bus skidded to a halt. He composed himself. "God, Max, what has Takao been telling you?!"

Grin. There's the sugar-sweet Max grin.

"Yuriy may be a secretive, barely speaking, silent-as-the-shadows kind of guy with a glint in his they-must-be-colored-contacts eyes, but…on the whole, he doesn't pry into my business and locks the apartment on his way out. And he's kind enough to pay more than his share of the rent," Rei took a break from digging and looked up at the blond. "Do you know what that makes him to me, Max?"

The blond pursed his lips in mock-thought. "Someone who's desperate for a roommate because no one wants to live with a schizo?"

Rei stared him down. "It just about makes him my God, that's what," he continued with his excavation.

Max sat up in his seat. "Geez Rei, what are you looking for? Did you lose your sense and sensibility in there?"

"And I thought Kyouju was a geek," he muttered. "Yuriy left his glasses on the counter. He asked me to give them to him later."

"You guys have a class together?"

"I'm meeting him around noon, he has a break then," Rei checked a side pocket and smiled when his hand ran over the supple leather casing. "Good thing I didn't forget the—ugh!"

The bus jolted to a stop and the shock wave threw most of the standing students forward. Max bumped his shoulder against the seat ahead of him. Sneakers skidded and pencils rolled. Rei fell against another student and knocked them both over. Books dropped and curses flew. The driver took all the commotion with a wave of the hand and turned into the main campus.

Rei adjusted his grip on the other student's thick sweater and pulled himself up. What a day he was having.

"Could you let go?"

"Yeah, sorry, really…" he let go and grabbed his backpack. "Normally I have excellent bal…" Rei picked at the fabric that had caught around his neck. White fabric. White fabric that had probably prevented puffs from coming out of a guy who he had stood next to and made an idiot out of himself in front of.

Dear God. It was one of those things that wasn't happening…and yet WAS.

Rei released the fabric and met nonplussed mahogany eyes.

What a day indeed.

"Sorry! Really…yeah…I mean, everyone was doing it…" Rei cringed as the words left his mouth. _Everyone was doing it?_ Was he high and didn't know it?!

The other boy readjusted his scarf and tugged it loosely so that it hung "just so" around his neck. "Hn."

Rei tried to compose himself and mumble a proper apology, but then the bomb dropped. Mr. Puffless had not one, but _two_ blue triangular marks on his cheek. And Rei was willing to bet that the design was mirrored on the other side of his face.

Blue triangles.

Blue shark fin-esque triangles.

…

And then he had to say it.

"Blue's not even a school color," he murmured.

A hard crimson glare bore into Rei's helpless soul via wide golden eyes. And in the deepest reaches of his mind, Rei knew that he had just been formally welcomed to hell.

"Rei! This is our stop, time to go!"

To the rescue, Max all put bulldozed Rei out of the bus and onto the sidewalk, where he began to drag them away with all the energy his sugar-coated breakfast had bestowed upon him. And one lecture hall and four near bicycle hit-and-runs later, Rei came to his senses and, started running with Max, and then he ran even faster when he realized…when he fell, and his backpack dropped, he had lost Yuriy's glasses.

The schizo was going to axe off his head.

**ooo**

Rei finished his last lecture as the sun disappeared behind the bus station. He flagged down the departing G line and boarded without a fuss. Snagging a seat near the rear door, he rummaged for a rubber band from his pant pocket and began pulling his hair into a loose tail. After Yuriy had scolded him about the glasses (in front of a cowering Max), Rei had walked into a bike circle without looking and the wrap keeping his long hair together was torn by two bikers racing each other. As he ran off swearing revenge, Max trailed behind him, playing with the loose tresses while chanting something about karma.

Rei didn't even want to recount the rest of the day. He opened the bus window slightly and leaned back. Considering all that had occurred, Rei was rather pleased. 'No blue triangles,' he mused as the bus passed the college bookstore and drove out of the main campus.

Thankful for an uneventful ride, Rei got off on Alvarado and hurried back to the apartment. It was square, in both the literal and slang sense. Facing the parking lot on the ground floor, the square consisted of a living room, a kitchen with a counter, one bath, and a bedroom. Rei threw his backpack onto the second-hand futon and started pulling ingredients for dinner, as well as some for dessert. He wasn't savvy with worded apologies, but he could whip up a bundt cake so buttery the receiver would let any transgression go. And if that wasn't enough…

"I knew it was a good idea to filch this from that party," Rei said as he produced a bottle of Midori liqueur from the bottom cabinet. As good as his bundt cakes were, his spiked ones were always grand slams.

Rei checked the clock and set his timer for 8 o'clock. While Yuriy's classes ended before Rei's, he always came back later. Being a responsible and serious sophomore, Yuriy worked to pay off his books and rent. Rei, on the other hand, relied on the kindness of people like Yuriy, and continuously withdrew from his savings. He swore he'd get a job once he got settled. After all, apartment life was a huge switch from that of the dormitories.

Rei measured out the liqueur and added a bit more to the flour and milk mixture. Yuriy could use it, he reasoned, he always seemed so stiff. The cake went into the oven and Rei went to his notes.

"From the beginning of the story, Andrea has two sets of feelings toward the bowl…"

**ooo**

"Not even a schizo could say no to this," Rei boasted. He poured the sugar glaze over the fresh cake, smirking as the glaze drizzled around and down the bundt mounds, but never spilled over onto the plate below. The scent of flour, vanilla, and honeydew filled the apartment, giving it a grandmother's cottage feel (if the honeydew hadn't been from the liqueur that is). It made Rei think that this living arrangement could actually work.

"Hey."

Rei glanced up from his creation. Yuriy closed the door behind him and began peeling off his coat and boots.

"Hi Yuriy," he took his elbows off the counter. "About your glasses…" Rei paused. Did he see what he thought he saw? "You…did you have a spare?"

Yuriy smirked, shook his red bangs out of his face and purposefully adjusted his designer frames. "If you can believe the luck, my friend found them on the bus," he said.

Rei was dumbfounded.

"You should thank him," he went on. "He saved your ass," he walked up to the counter and hummed in approval. "Oh, cake." Without waiting, he ran his finger through the perfect glaze and sucked, another hum. "Good cake, too. This for me?"

Breaking out of his stupor, Rei nodded and sunk against the countertop. He had a big speech and presentation ready to wow him with, too.

Yuriy came around and picked up a plate and fork. Using the knife Rei had put out, he sliced himself a generous piece, pushed Rei's backpack aside slightly, and made himself comfortable on the futon. Rei climbed onto the barstool and pouted.

"Aren't you going to have dinner first?" he asked.

"My coworker brought pizza to the office," Yuriy said as he waved his fork around. "Nice guy."

"How convenient," he paused again. "…So, about the glasses. Am I forgiven?"

"Oh, sure, no harm done."

That was good enough for Rei. "All right." He headed into the bedroom, gathered his pajamas, and moved to the bathroom.

"You still owe my friend your ass, though," Yuriy sang out as he licked his fork.

Rei stuck his head out the door. "What?"

"If he hadn't found them, you'd be on the cutting block," he said. "You owe him."

As Yuriy went on about the price of the leather case and the intricate marks on the frame, Rei wasn't sure if this was really happening. "Owe him…with what? Another cake?" They hadn't lived together for more than a week and the redhead was speaking to him in an overly cordial manner, as if they were friends. Yuriy hadn't seemed half this approachable in the short time they've been roommates. Maybe he had added too much liqueur...

"Don't be unimaginative," he said as he placed the dishes in the sink. "And Kai doesn't like sweets." Rei sighed. "Although he doesn't mind a mild liqueur…it's probably the alcohol."

"Yuriy…"

"Just kidding, Rei," he drawled out. "Let me take the rest of this bundt to him and it'll be water under the bridge."

Rei pulled the rubber band out of his hair and started brushing. "Okay," he wasn't convinced, but if it cleared this alleged debt of his…

"You should meet him sometime, he lives in this complex, too, you know."

As he was wrapping up his hair, Rei asked out of habit, "What's he like?"

"You'd love him, he's just like me," Yuriy said with a Cheshire-grin.

"I'd…rather not," Rei closed the bathroom door and cringed as Yuriy's less than innocent laughter rang out. He stepped into the shower, turned the water on high and leaned against the wall. Maybe he'd take Max up on his offer. Being the mother hen of a loft of three boys sounded lovely at this point.

**ooo**

When Rei stepped out of the bathroom, the living room of their square was dark. Dishes were done and the bundt cake was carefully put away. He entered the bedroom quietly; lights were out, Yuriy was already asleep. As he put his clothes in the hamper and pulled the covers of his bed back Rei had to admit that things could have been a lot worse. Yuriy was, temperament aside, a decent roommate who had a job and locked the door whenever he left. Max, Takao and Kyouju were nearby if he needed a place to stay. He got all the courses he had wanted. It could have been worse.

What if he had moved in with Mr. Puffless? God. Rei crawled under his comforter and turned onto his side. He'd have to face him again tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, definitely the day after. Puffless's class seemed to start at the same time Rei's did, and he had that class Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Three days of blue fins. Oh God.

Rei mumbled worries into his comforter until something large and heavy for its size landed on his face.

"…Have to work early…shut up…" Yuriy turned over and went back to sleep.

Rei grabbed the stuffed wolf Yuriy threw at him and held it tightly. Pushing thoughts of the mahogany glare of death aside, Rei decided to make another bundt cake for Yuriy and his friend tomorrow. Kai. Even if he was similar to Yuriy, Rei would take him over puffless any day. He closed his eyes. Eventually, Rei drifted to sleep thinking of cake, wolves and puffs of warm air.

**ooo**

"Fairytales, Fables and Myths" is an actual class. I've yet to take it, but I've heard wonderful things about it.

The line about Andrea and the bowl is from an essay I wrote about the short story "Janus" by Ann Beattie. It's melancholic, and really is about a bowl.

---

It didn't turn out the way I originally intended it to, but that's what I love about writing on the spot. Sorry about the mood fluctuation between scenes, I haven't done this in a while. Oh, and more randomness shall ensue, so be prepared.

Reviews and miscellaneous comments are appreciated! The other writers of the contest will submit soon (in a systematic order, actually); be sure to check those out as well.

Sleepy Sheep G.


	2. The Lotus

A tad late…I do not get a cookie. ;A;  
Thanks go out to everyone who reviewed! It made me happy to push my lecture notes aside and write up this chapter. Enjoy.

_G on Alvarado_  
Second Stop – The Lotus  
Disclaimer: I do not (nor do I foresee to ever) own Beyblade. Cry with me.

**ooo**

Rei didn't even bother to stifle his yawn as he sat on the curb of Alvarado. It was 6:48. In the morning. He yawned again.

While he had wanted to get up early and catch a different bus (he dreamt of trying to escape a bowl of man-eating sharkfin soup), his hopes were dashed by Yuriy and an unexpected guest. Rei hadn't bothered to get up and say hello, but he stayed in bed blinking the sleep away as Yuriy conversed rather loudly with said unknown person in what he assumed was Russian. Based on intonation (and another wicked bout of laughter on the redhead's part), Rei figured Yuriy was quite acquainted with this early riser. And he stressed _early_. Yuriy's morning shift started at 7, and he got up at 5:30, which meant that Rei had also been unintentionally woken up at 5:30. AM. Ante Meridiem. Good Lord.

Rei had forgotten to charge his music player last night and so was only keeping himself awake by pure will. Granted he was already nodding off, but all things considered, he thought he was doing a good job. But as the morning mist set in and he laid his head against his folded arms, to his golden eyes, his surroundings got blurrier and blurr –

"God, Rei?!"

Damn. He was so close.

"Rei!"

Almost reluctantly, Rei lifted his head and tried to focus on the hand waving much too quickly for the hour of the day.

"Dude, get in. You're two minutes away from turning into a Rei-sicle."

Grabbing his backpack, the raven-haired boy approached the silver Mercury, opened the door and got in. Tossing his bag into the back seat, he buckled up and finally greeted his ride.

"Morning, Takao."

The car sped off around the corner and into the right lane. When they coasted to a stop in front of a red light, Takao pushed a container of donuts in Rei's general direction.

"I didn't think sane people woke up this early," he said as he reached for his coffee.

"I'll pass that statement back to you," he replied. As much as he hated to do so, Rei picked up a donut (plain…it removed some of the guilt). Before, he didn't want to risk falling asleep again, so he had gotten out of bed around 6. But once he had nodded off and burnt his toast, Rei decided to brave the chill and left for the bus stop without breakfast. Yeah, that donut was looking real good.

"Me? I pulled an all-nighter and I didn't want to wake the guys making breakfast, so I took off for donuts."

Rei paused mid-bite. "You pull an all-nighter? School _just_ started yesterday."

"Not for homework. Video games," he said. Rei sighed and finished his donut. "I know I'm going to get projects and essays soon, so I needed to get the games out of my system. It felt so good."

"I'll bet," Rei leaned against the door and drew shapes in the condensation on the window pane.

"Wish you could have been there. Y'know, in the loft."

"It's ok. Max must have told you, right? I have a good place. Don't worry about it."

"Next year for sure, we'll get a big apartment and then we can all live there! It'll be like the dorms again," he said.

"I really don't know if I could handle that," Rei mused. Freshman year, he, Takao, Max and Kyouju had shared a quad arrangement in the dormitory. Quads consisted of two small "bedrooms" (two beds and one closet) and a slightly larger common room in between. Luckily, Rei had shared with Kyouju, so he was able to sleep a reasonable amount, but that's not to say he didn't need his trusty earplugs once in a while. Fun and chaotic. Rei is still grateful for living there and making the friends he had, but he wasn't sure if he could do it again.

"Well, it won't be exactly like the quad; for one thing, our bedrooms will be bigger than a matchbox," Takao said as he turned around the corner and changed lanes. "And we'll have a huge living room big enough for a beydish and a couple of beanbag chairs!"

"Max does love his beanbag chairs," Rei admitted. The blond had one in place of a traditional chair in the quad. Rei had lost count of the number of times he walked in to find Max nestled in that thing, but he stopped at 152. That pile of beans got a lot of love.

"Yeah, Max and…hey, wait, don't you…Max told me he saw you on the bus yesterday."

Rei sat up straight and racked his brain for a response for the upcoming question.

"And you never told me, so why are you up this early? If you ride the same bus as Max, you shouldn't be up for a while."

Rei paused. Ten seconds. Fifteen seconds. "I – I need to talk to my advisor," he said. "I have questions about declaring my major."

"…Wow, that's dedication," Takao said. "Such an upstanding student, Rei, you put us all to shame," he laughed.

Rei shrugged with a smile and leaned against the door again.

"I'm going to park in the gymnasium garage. Is that ok?"

Another yawn. "Yeah, it's fine." Rei turned his head to the side, keeping his face out of view and trying not to look sleepy. It wasn't really working.

"Cool. I'm going to work out a bit first, but it's also the closest garage to my first class. It's right next to the information desk, too. I still can't find everything, y'know?" Rei didn't respond, but Takao continued as if he had. "They give out newspapers and magazines for free," he took another sip of coffee and held the wheel steady. "I actually read some articles the other day. Wild, huh? Oh, did you see the one about the break-in? Someone actually broke into the campus greenhouse, weird, right? Nothing was stolen…"

In hindsight, Rei hoped Takao didn't mind. He had only gotten five hours of sleep and was running on one donut. At least he was polite. He snored very lightly the rest of the way to campus.

**ooo**

Chocolate chips, cinnamon and rainbow sprinkles went into the shopping cart. Cutters and a non-stick baking sheet followed shortly after. Rei touched the labels of four cans of frosting before finally settling on a sugar-free Royal Purple and adding it to the cart. He mentally striked that item from his list and continued on to the checkout.

Baking always gave him that feel-good tingle. And if not for that reason, Rei felt keeping his hands busy was better than sitting on the couch checking his e-mail. So after his classes, he swung by the super market and picked up the cookie essentials. He already planned on making another bundt cake and cookies weren't that hard, the whole apartment was going to smell like a bakery.

'Why not,' he thought. 'I can always give the rest to Max and them.'

He paid for the items and walked out. Rei made his way down the sidewalk and across the street, and upon entering the complex, unintentionally bumped shoulders with one of his neighbors.

"…My bad," he said as adjusted his grip on the grocery bag.

It was the young man that carried the questionable box the other day…and to Rei's fine nose, still stunk of said questionables.

"Right," the guy said as he tucked an unmarked bottle into his messenger bag and walked off to the bus stop.

Rei shrugged him off and hurried into the apartment. After locking the door and kicking off his shoes, he unloaded his bag onto the counter and noted a half-sheet message from Yuriy. When did he come back?

_Took the rest of the cake to work. Don't wait up._

True enough, his precious bundt cake had gone missing. Rei put the note aside and gathered the rest of the ingredients he would need for his baking extravaganza.

"Just give the rest to Kai and you'll be forgiven, isn't that what he said?" Flour, sugar, eggs. "What if I hadn't planned on making another one? Then what, Yuriy?" Milk, butter…Vodka? "Huh?"

Rei picked up the tiny bottle and held it between his thumb and index finger. It looked like a sample, and even then, Rei had to admire it. Frosty clear bottle. Bold black lettering. Simple design above the name.

"Blue Lotus Vodka?" He turned it around and read the fine print. "An 'energy vodka' with added caffeine, taurine, and flavorings…80 proof." He whistled. This was serious stuff. Placing it next to the baking sheet and his own bottle of Midori, Rei wondered what to do with it.

"Must have fallen out of that guy's bag earlier," he figured. "What can I do with a shot of Vodka?"

But when Rei saw the mold for his bundt cake and his trusty whisk…

"_Kai doesn't like sweets…Although he doesn't mind a mild liqueur…it's probably the alcohol."_

He tapped the top of the bottle lightly and wondered if he could really do it. Well, he was sure that he could technically. It was all a matter of measuring and diluting, but morally…

"_You should meet him sometime…he's just like me."_

Rei pushed the cookie essentials aside, preheated the oven and twisted open the bottle of Blue Lotus. Oh yeah, he could do it.

**ooo**

…_zzzzt. _

…_zzzz… "You've got mail."_

He needed a break. And he needed fresh air, both of which he got after 58 grueling minutes in the kitchen section of his square apartment. Rei pushed the window open a little more and inhaled. Non-alcoholic air. Yum.

His adventure into cooking with extreme alcohol hadn't been all that bad. It took a while to figure out the right measurements for the Midori and Blue Lotus, but in the end, everything mixed together. Another 29 minutes later and the cake had baked to the right color. He successfully got it out of the mold and it held its shape as it cooled. Taste aside, Rei had plenty to brag about. Taste…not aside…

Of course Rei tasted the Vodka. Any chef knows that it's important to try to ingredient before using it. To be precise, he had one pinky-dip's worth and that was all he needed. It wasn't terrible (not that he had much to measure it against), but it burned all the way down. It took one and a half glasses of orange-strawberry-apple juice to get rid of the tang. Poor esophagus.

He figured it wouldn't be polite to offer someone a cake with a piece missing, so he forgoed a final taste test. 15 more minutes of cooling and he'd take it to Kai. He would pray for hope then.

The cookies, on the other hand, were, to be Goldilock-esque, just right. He sprinkled most of them and Royal Purple frosted the rest. A couple of star and animal-shaped ones were already sealed in a bag for Max. The others were displayed on a plate.

"_Mail deleted…"_

Rei took another deep breath and exhaled slowly. Shaking his head a bit, he clicked on his newest piece of mail.

_Dear AVS013-goers,  
In my haste I forgot to mention the primary report (which counts as the final exam) for this course. I have enclosed a document explaining your objective along with important resources for all to use. If you have any questions, please come to my office hours. _

Ah, AVS013. Avian Science 13. It's for Science credit…really…

After downloading the attachment, Rei scanned through it and then zeroed in on the bullet points.

10 page minimum. 5 certified texts (i.e. scientific journals) minimum. 4 photographs and/or drawings. 3 hours of field work. 2 consultations with the professor. And a partridge in a pear tree.

All right, that last one wasn't entirely true.

"Observe one avian and monitor its habits, environment and social interaction with others?" His mouth went dry as he read on. "Write a report about your findings as well as one issue regarding…your bird?"

Rei closed the document and leaned back in his chair.

"I wonder if it's too late to switch into Fairytales…"

**ooo**

Having mulled and groaned over his current situation (all 320 spaces for Fairytales were full), Rei sucked it up and told himself to get to the library later to look up some of the local fowls. The report was doable, but that didn't mean he wanted to do it. It was the first quarter of the new school year, and Rei had every intention of breezing through it with little effort. He should have known things never would have turned out like that.

"51…52…3 and 4."

Rei carefully shifted the plate carrying his Vodka-infused bundt cake to his left hand and knocked lightly with his right. While he was in a less-than-happy mood, he figured he would deliver the cake. There was no point in putting it off anyway.

"He's not here," he said.

Rei knocked again and looked around. It was mid-afternoon, prime time for lectures, no one was walking about. Taking one last look at apartment number 54, he started to leave.

And then the door creaked open.

Rei turned and waited. He could barely see into the dark living room, but someone was definitely moving around inside. As he was about to knock again, the door opened fully.

"…"

"Um…Kai?"

The guy on the other side of the threshold smirked and banged his fist against the door. "God, no," he sputtered.

Rei stood still as the guy held in his laughter. Two seconds later though, with regained composure, he stared at Rei hard and spoke to him gruffly. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm…Rei," he mumbled. Rei didn't mean to stare back, but he never knew someone could have hair that shade of…lavender… "Uh, Yuriy's roommate?"

Yuriy's name apparently gave him some merit. The other guy loosened up immensely. "Oh yeah, he told me about you. What do you want?"

Thrusting the cake forward, Rei urged him to take it with a pointed look. "For Kai, for um…" did he really have to say it?

"Savin' your ass?"

Apparently, it sounded even more embarrassing when a total stranger said it.

The guy took the plate with one hand. "Yuriy told me that, too," he eyed the dessert questionably. "Can't believe Yuriy would endorse the idea of giving Hiwatari a cake."

Rei forced his humiliation down as best he could while trying to appear nonchalant. How was he supposed to respond to that? And as he thought about what to say, Kai's roommate sniffed the cake.

"Is this thing spiked?"

Rei wanted to hit his head against the doorframe…repeatedly.

"Well…yeah, a little," he said meekly.

The other guy didn't respond, but he nodded slightly in what Rei hoped was approval. "Tell Yuriy he owes me money," he said as he closed the door.

"Uh, wait! Your name?"

"Boris."

The door closed and Rei could hear the lock attaching soon after. That was it. Silence swept the hallway. The world didn't end. No Apocalypse. No angst. He couldn't believe it. But in an anti-climactic manner, the raven-haired boy accepted it and (quickly) walked away from apartment number 54.

**ooo**

"Avian Science" is also real. I took it. I know it's random, but roll with it. Everything will make sense in time.

---

I know it doesn't seem like much (or too much in terms of description) for the time I had taken, but this chapter just didn't roll out as smoothly as the first. I have a good direction though, so expect the next chapter a little sooner.

Sleepy Sheep G.


	3. The Name

I'm really no good with deadlines. I tsk myself…  
Lots of action going on in this chapter, you've been forewarned. Enjoy.

_G on Alvarado_  
Third Stop – The Name  
Disclaimer: I do not (nor do I foresee to ever) own Beyblade. Too bad, so sad. Skittles also belong to Mars Inc.

**ooo**

Mao, a very sweet, fashion-passionate, pink-haired girl, and Rei were, as Rai's grandfather had so bluntly stated, the kind of cousins that were able to make babies together and not be frowned upon.

When Rei had heard that at the tender age of six, he didn't think much of it. Now, at the tender age of 19-going-on-20, he wished he was still ignorant. Don't get him wrong, Rei liked Mao, but frilly laces and designer labels aside, there was something about her (and girls in general) that didn't pique his interest. Well, truthfully, no one piqued his interest presently, but that wasn't the point. The point was, Rei was a little tired about getting hassled (by Rai) to "ring her and king her." Rei had thought about that phrase for 20 seconds and was confident that, while he hadn't a clue what it meant, it was not a very gentlemanly thing to do. Rai had refrained from saying anything like that to him so far, but as Rei sadly noted, the afternoon was unfortunately young.

"How about a pigeon? Pigeons are everywhere," Rai suggested.

"No," Rei tossed a soda in his friend's general direction and read the printed email again. "It says I need a real bird. I need to stare at it and draw it. And don't open that yet."

Rai's thumb paused on the soda tab. "You said a bird, right? Pigeons are birds."

"Read between the lines, Rai. If I want to pass, I don't think a 10 page report on winged rats will do."

"Anal-retentive," Rai muttered as he opened the can and drank the fizz that spilled over.

Rai had been Rei's best friend since childhood. His grandfather took Rei in and as far as both boys were concerned, that also made them brothers. With his lion-like spiky hair and slightly bigger build, Rai protected Rei during most of their formative years, but now that they were nearing adulthood, he laxed on his duties and settled back into the best friend mold. He and their friend, Mao, transferred in this year and were staying on campus in a dormitory for such students. Speaking of Mao…

"Mao's getting out of class soon. I'm going to tell her to come over, all right?"

Rei sat down next to Rai and shrugged. "Fine with me. Yuriy won't be back 'till late."

"Sweet," he paused after finding her in his contact list. "That means you guys will have plenty of time to…well," he pressed the call button. "I mean, it's not like you're going to need supervision…"

"Rai…I told you, I don't like –"

"Hey, Mao?" Rai cut him off and stood up. "You're not doing anything now, right? Yeah. I'm at Rei's place…"

Rei tugged his (soon to be ex best) friend's baggy sweatpants only to lose his grip once Rai walked away to the kitchen. He fell onto the futon face-first like road kill and listened as his address and apartment number were given away.

"…right. Oh, I'm sure Rei won't mind sending you back…"

"I don't have car, you know," he mumbled.

Rai shook his head. "…it's Rei; _of course_ he'll take the bus back with you…"

Rei turned over onto his back and started praying for a miracle. He barely started on his report and now he had to deal with Mao. Mao and her clothing sketches…spools of thread…pink ribbons…he did not have the energy for this.

When he heard Rai end the call, Rei forced himself to sit up and tried to salvage the situation. "Hey, look, you know I'd love to have Mao over, but I have a lot of stuff to do."

"It'll just be for an hour…ish," he reasoned. "Besides, she hasn't seen you since summer." Rai went around picking up his backpack and notebooks. "That is, unless you guys turn up the heat while I'm away –"

"Rai!" Rei made a point to catch his gaze. "I told you, I don't like her that way," he said in all seriousness.

Rai's reply matched his tone. "You can try to," he said. All playfulness vanished. "You know how much the elders back home are expecting your eventual union."

Rei bowed his head in acknowledgment.

"I know you don't love her now, but that doesn't mean you can't love her later. You just have to try harder," he zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Everyone knows this is a time for experimenting, and I'm not saying you can't date around, but come on…Rei, it's Mao. You'll just…" he slipped on his shoes. "You're…perfect together."

Rei stood up and got the door for him.

"Try, ok?"

"Yeah, I know," he undid the latch and Rai stepped outside. "I'll see you later." Rai gave an obligatory wave and started walking toward the bus stop. The door closed.

Rei knew what was expected of him and he knew that his freedom was limited, but that didn't stop him from hoping. He really did like Mao, but he knew he couldn't love her. And no amount of "trying harder" was going to change that. Even so, when his pink-haired friend turned up on his doorstep fifteen minutes later with a smile and a new book of sketches, Rei returned the gesture and welcomed her in.

They talked about everything and nothing, he made tea and she took a Royal Purple iced cookie. Mao loved the dormitory and went on about the cute guys that lived down the hall. She talked about Rai, how he already disapproves of said guys and how he and she were planning on sharing an apartment next year ("You're going to join us too, right Rei? It'll be like home!").

Rei took it all in stride, nodding when he was supposed to and providing enough cues to keep the conversation alive. He was listening, but he had to admit that it was half-hearted. Part of him was worrying about the project, another part was devoted to wondering if Yuriy would come back early and question the situation, and as Rei took Mao's cup and went to refill it, some part of him knew that he could easily give in to this kind of future.

CLURNG

"Oh, Rei, are you all right?"

It scared him.

"Rei, here, give me your hand!" Mao took Rei's right arm and shoved it under the sink faucet. Cold water splashed against his wrist as it began turning red. Making sure he stayed put, Mao then picked up the fallen kettle, wiped it dry with a napkin and placed it back on the stovetop. "Honestly, it's not like this is your first time pouring water," she reprimanded him as she cleaned up the mess. "The elders back home would start about dishonor and go on for hours. Goodness, Rei…"

Rei looked at his wrist. It was getting better. He turned off the faucet and reached for a napkin. Mao, two steps ahead of him, took his hand and wiped it dry with the kitchen cloth.

"Be more careful, you could have burned yourself really badly…" she said, although her tone was more teasing that it was previously.

It was too fairytale…growing up and marrying your best (female) friend. And what was worse, it already seemed to be happening. Chatting about how their day was and cleaning up after one another? Wasn't that one pair of His and Hers towels away from being engaged?

Mao placed the cloth on the counter and took her cup. "You should definitely consider moving in with Rai and me. It doesn't seem like you can take care of yourself yet," she joked. "Anyway, let me show you my newest sketches. My professor said one of them would be perfect for our upcoming assignment."

Of course Rei joined her on the futon and he looked at the designs with feigned interest. When Mao showed him the details on a skirt he nodded and smiled. Unconsciously nursing his wrist, he took it all in and vainly tried to push the fear away. Rai would be disappointed; he was trying, but it wasn't working.

**ooo**

The street lamps were just lighting up. The last bits of yellow-orange glow vanished from the horizon and a chill moved in. Someone next to him said it was almost seven. Rei closed his eyes. One stop later and he got off the bus and started walking back to the apartment. Mao had stayed quite a bit longer than he had hoped, but true to Rai's words, he rode the bus back with her and then made a return trip to his apartment. He wasn't dead-tired, but something about him was simply exhausted. He couldn't wait for his instant noodle dinner. It was bad, but he had baked two cakes, a batch of cookies, filled his embarrassment quota for the next month, and nearly scalded himself all in the past two days, Rei felt an easy dinner was well justified.

Walking up to the door, he reached into his pocket and dug around. Other pocket. Back pocket. Other back pocket.

"Come…on…" he groaned.

Although he didn't have the energy for it, Rei steeled his mind and told himself to turn around and backtrack for his keys. He could only hope they didn't fall off on the bus. He did _not_ feel like chasing the G line across town. Pushing away from the door with his palm, Rei started his trek.

"Yours?" A low tone asked.

And then Rei stopped three steps later. Looking up, gold met familiar mahogany, blue fins, a white scarf, and the plastic white tiger figurine on a key ring.

'Oh God,' he wasn't sure if he could handle him right now.

The other guy, the one from the bus, jingled the keys lightly in an attempt to elicit a response.

Nodding, Rei slowly took his keys from the other's hand, cautious as if he was going to bite.

The other guy waited and then, "Thanks?"

Clutching the metal pieces in his hand, Rei weighed his options. He could run inside and call Max; his perkiness would surely drive blue fins away. Or he could try and sustain a slightly intelligent conversation with the guy he'd most likely run into everyday for the rest of the quarter.

"…Thank you," Rei said.

He wanted to run, but considering how tired he was and how close the other guy was to the apartment, he really doubted he could make it inside without some form of obstruction. Besides, what was wrong with a little small talk? And while he was at it…

"Uh…about the other day," Rei tried to keep his voice above a mumble. "I'm sorry. On the bus, things…just got out of hand."

The other guy didn't miss a beat. "I could tell."

Swallowing his humility, Rei continued. "Well, we'll probably see each other at the stop again, and I didn't want things to be weird so…"

"I get it," he said. "It's fine." And he started to walk away.

"Wait!"

As he stopped Rei realized…he had nothing more to say.

'I can't believe he actually stopped…Damn reflexes,' he thought. Scrambling for another comment, he slowly endured a pseudo-annoyed death glare. It did not feel good.

"Y-You live here, right? Er, upstairs?" Yeah…this was about as embarrassing as the Boris-cake-fiasco.

"Your point?"

"…Watch your step. They're painting the hand rails in the stairwell. Wouldn't want to, you know…" he didn't mean to, but he motioned toward his own cheek. "…get paint on…or anything." Rei knew it was probably the worst thing to say (and to that particular person as well), but it was the only thing he could think of.

Waiting for the brush off, Rei was just about dumbfounded when the other guy smirked. It was just a small upturn of the lips, and a softness in the previously hard mahogany, before he walked away.

Stuffing his keys into his pocket, Rei slowly followed, watching as the guy went up the stairs (staying clear of the wet handrails) and stopped to talk to a red-haired girl. She laughed, he shrugged and they went into her apartment.

'A female roommate?' Rei didn't want to think about it. He quickly went inside his own apartment, kicked off his shoes, and fell onto the futon. And even though he still had to boil water for his easy dinner, find a bird to study, and think of what to do about Mao, Rei found, to his surprise, that he was smiling.

**ooo**

Judging by how rumpled his sheets were and the awkward position of his arms and legs, Rei assumed that Yuriy came home around 3AM. And by "came home" he meant, stumbling across the threshold and sitting on the coffee table whilst laughing rather loudly in Russian (yeah, laughing in Russian). At least, that's how Rei had found him.

That was fifteen minutes ago.

"Sit…s-sit still. Yuriy!" Rei struggled to clean the smudges off of Yuriy's face. "Yuriy hold on!" He rinsed the kitchen cloth again and got the last bits off his chin.

"Hmmm mmm hm…Rei…" Yuriy pinched his roommate's cheeks and grinned. "Roomie-Rei is such a mother…" he slurred out.

"Yeah, I'm a mother, ok," Rei didn't know from experience, but he guessed that Yuriy was still a little drunk. One of his coworkers got engaged, there was alcohol, and Yuriy was good about lying about his age.

"My Rei-of-sunshine!" he sang. "Did you give Kai a present?"

Rei led Yuriy into the bedroom and nodded. "Yes, I gave him a cake." Picking out the red-head's pajamas, Rei threw them at his roommate. "Now get changed. You'll never be able to wake up for work like this," he closed the door and leaned heavily against it.

Rei was as tired as the dead. That's pretty tired. He didn't even know his body was capable of getting up and functioning properly at 3AM.

"Rei-dar! Did he like it?"

He rubbed his eyes, willing himself to stay awake for a little while longer. "I don't know. He wasn't there," Rei said as he gathered up his hair and tied it loosely with one of the pink ribbons Mao left behind.

"Theeeeen it was Bor – OH! How is Bory–Boris?"

'Bory…Boris…' Rei convinced himself it was the alcohol talking. "F-Fine. Um…he says you owe him money."

"That adorable little liar," he replied. "…What am I doing, Swa-Rei?!"

"You're getting dressed!"

"But I am dressed…" Yuriy pushed against the door. He banged and kicked and then finally poked his head through when Rei allowed a little slack. "Pa-Rei-de!…are you mad at me?"

"…No…I'm not," he mumbled. Yuriy grinned and went back inside. Rei lied. He wasn't mad, he was furious. He could forgive being woken up at 3, but Yuriy had been drunk and drove nearly two miles from work back to the apartment. Rei doubted there were many people up at this hour, but he had to cross a busy freeway and half a dozen roundabouts. What if someone ran out into the road? What if the campus police was patrolling? Yuriy was barely able to walk in a straight line. He could have…

"Ty-REI-nian!" the redhead busted out of the bedroom, grabbed Rei's arm, and pulled him inside.

"Yuu – ah…Yuriy! You didn't even change!"

"I'm already in my clothes!" he said as he fell into bed and pulled Rei in with him. "Tired…" Yuriy threw the covers over himself and settled in. "Hmmm…Night b-Rei-celet…" he mumbled as he pet his stuffed wolf on the muzzle. He shuffled once, sighed, tussled a bit more and then he went limp.

Rei kept still, slumped over Yuriy's legs and abdomen. He didn't move for a few (uncomfortable) minutes, tentatively wiggling around when he felt the redhead's somewhat even breathing. A short while later, Rei had successfully gotten off the bed and Yuriy was still sleeping soundly.

"God, Yuriy…" Stretching briefly, Rei turned around and collapsed on top of his own blankets. Cleaning up the whirlwind of a mess in the living room could wait for a couple of hours. Rei was out in less than twenty seconds.

**ooo**

BWEEP BWEEP BWEEP

"…"

BWEEP BWEEP

"Ngunnn…"

BWEEP WEET WEET WEET WEEET WEEEE – KLUNNNK

"…nn…shit…"

Rei propped himself up on his elbows and held his alarm clock up to his eyes. 7:05AM. He tilted his head to the side, Yuriy's back faced him. It didn't surprise Rei in the slightest; he figured Yuriy wouldn't be up for work. Most likely, he'd miss his 11 o'clock class as well.

As tempting as it was to sleep in, Rei knew he had plenty to do. Throwing the covers back, he got up, picked up the stuffed wolf Yuriy had apparently kicked off during the night, tossed it back onto the bed, and walked into the living room. A jacket and scarf were dangling off the bookcase. Boots were haphazardly lying by the doormat. Yuriy's backpack and its contents were strewn about the futon alongside some half-eaten chips. The kitchen counter was piled with washcloths and two bowls of murky water. And Rei didn't even want to look in the bathroom.

Running a hand through his rumpled hair, Rei hastily tied it back, rolled up his sleeves and closed the door to the bedroom. "Yuriy owes me…"

**ooo**

Thirty-five minutes later, the living room and kitchen were clean, more or less, and the bathroom was tolerable. In any case, it was suitable for Rei. He put away the cleaning supplies, tied up the garbage bags and put them by the door. Grabbing his keys, Rei slipped on his shoes and left to throw out the trash.

On his way back, he decided to check the mail. It felt a little weird as he passed the laundry room and reached the wall of mailboxes; Yuriy usually brought it back since he got up so early. Pulling out his mail key, Rei found the box for apartment number 23 and checked for anything other than coupons. Nothing. Not even an electric bill.

"Good morning," a soft voice said.

Rei glanced to this right. It was the red-head from yesterday. The one that lives with…that guy. Rei needed to find out what his name was.

"Morning," he said. And then he remembered how he was in shambles from cleaning, wearing his pajama bottoms and a worn out T-shirt, and laughed lightly at himself. "Did a little morning…organizing…"

"I see," she smiled as she checked her mailbox. "I haven't seen you around…number 23," she giggled.

"It's Rei," he held out his hand and she took it gently, briefly, before letting go.

"Salima, and sorry about the number. But some people aren't very social around here."

"I know; there should be an apartment get-together or something."

"Let me know if there is one. My roommate and I will definitely go!"

"Sounds good. Um…hey, does your roommate have er, spiky blue hair?" It was a fairly awkward question to ask, but Rei knew for certain that asking if her roommate had blue fins on his cheeks was far more absurd.

"Yeah. I always tell him to comb it back, but he never listens," she closed the mailbox and held a few letters and a small parcel in her arms. "Have you met him?"

Rei nodded. "I take the bus with him, and I…I saw him yesterday around the parking lot." Salima smiled in acknowledgment. "But I never got the chance to ask…what's his name?"

"It's Kane," she said. "We knew each other in high school and met again last year," she checked her watch and frowned. "I have to go, but since you and Kane already know each other, why don't you come up sometime?"

"Sure, ok."

"We're in apartment 51. Usually one of us is there. Later Rei!"

"Bye, Salima."

She rounded the laundry room and headed upstairs. As her footsteps got lighter, Rei followed, forgoing the stairs for the straight path to the parking lot and then turning to his own number 23.

'So blue fins actually has a name,' he thought as he went inside. Yuriy still wasn't up, and his encounter with Salima left him eight minutes to get to class. Rei hurried into the bedroom to get a change of clothes, buttered some toast and grabbed his cell phone. He was a college student, multi-tasking was child's play.

As he hooked the button of his slacks and poured some milk, he pushed his fourth speed dial number and propped his cell between his shoulder and jaw line. Pulling on his shirt and taking a bite of toast, Rei held a small frown. He wouldn't see Kane on the bus now, but he hoped to catch him on the return trip after lecture.

"Hey! S'up, Rei?"

Scribbling a note to Yuriy and placing a bottle of Aspirin on top of it, Rei shuffled his phone from his shoulder to his hand and then slung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Morning, Takao. Something wild went down at 3AM. I'll tell you all about it if you let me catch a ride."

"Wild fraternity gossip already, Rei? Dude, what were you doing last night?"

"First, do I have a ride?"

"Uh…" There was some static on the other end, and then Takao spoke again. "I can get you in two minutes. Max is running all over the place looking for his Skittles."

Rei managed a smile. "Great. Thanks."

"Meet us at the curb."

He hung up and tossed the phone into his backpack. After grabbing his textbook and a wrap for his hair, Rei whipped out his keys, ran out the door and locked up. He jogged through the parking lot and slowed near the corner of Alvarado. By the time he was halfway done putting his hair in order, Takao's car coasted to a stop in front of him. Rei got in and they took off.

"So, did someone do inappropriate college-like things last night?" Takao teased.

Rei pushed his backpack to the floor and finished tying up his hair. "I can't believe that's the first thing you want to know!" he said with a laugh.

"Skittle?!" Max asked from the passenger seat.

Rei held out his hand and got two greens and a purple. Takao joked some more and Max turned on the radio. By the time they reached campus, they were all four minutes late to lecture.

**ooo**

Kane and Salima are from V-Force. I believe the original spelling is "Cain", but I stuck with the dub (it'll make sense later). You can Google his image, or believe that he does have blue hair.

---

First off, I don't want to hear any questions about the main pairing. Mao and Kane are in there for good fun (and good reason) and Yuriy is just Yuriy. If it was not KaixRei, I'd be kicked out of the wave.

All right, so, finally a little KR interaction, hope that makes people happy. Got some Rai, Mao and drunken Yuriy, too. My dorm neighbor came back intoxicated once. She was hyped one second and out like a light the next…I'd like to dedicate that part of insanity to her.

If you liked this chapter even a bit, please leave a review! Let me know if this makes you fear college the way I do.

Sleepy Sheep G.


	4. Disbelief

I'm actually on time. I had to be. It's Single's Awareness…I mean, Valentine's Day. Snuggle up with someone and enjoy.

By the way, I figured I'd do something special for this chapter. It begins with the events from chapter one and keeps going until the end of chapter three. Keep an eye on the scene changes; they aren't supposed to be as fluid as usual since I'm covering many events.

_G on Alvarado_  
Circling the roundabout – Disbelief  
Disclaimer: I do not (nor do I foresee to ever) own Beyblade. It's killing me softly.

**ooo**

Boris waited until the story was over. He listened, digested it, and fell against the back of the barstool.

Snicker.

"Boris…"

Snort.

"Why do I bother…"

As Kai gave up and walked into the bedroom, Boris burst out laughing.

"Oh…oh God…shit! What a retard!"

Kai tried to drown out the hideous sounds of his roommate's enjoyment. He shut drawers with a bang, threw his clothes into the bathroom, knocking over shampoo bottles, and closed the door in a loud crack. Shedding his scarf, he turned on the sink faucet and grabbed his washcloth, ready to wipe off his face paint when…

"Damn, Hiwatari, as if I don't have enough material to blackmail you with already!" Boris yelled as he slapped his hand roughly against the bathroom door. "Such an idiot!"

Kai put some force into opening the door, but not enough to physically hurt the guy on the other side. Why had he told him? Glaring down the other Russian, Kai relented when it only caused Boris to snort again.

"Ha ha…"

"I didn't welcome it."

Boris didn't try to hide his amusement as he sat on the barstool once more.

"He fell onto me."

Boris poked at the remains of his dinner, a smirk danced on his lips.

"Shut up!"

Finally turning in Kai's direction, Boris gripped the back of the chair lightly. "Wait until I tell Yuriy," he practically sang.

Kai closed the door in his face, turned the water back on and scrubbed. The only reason he put up with Boris was because he won a coin toss. Originally, he, Boris and Yuriy (who had known each other since high school) had wanted a 3-bedroom, but only 2-bedroom apartments were available. Boris specifically stated that he was not sharing a room, so that left a small dilemma. After some bickering, they finally decided on a simple solution. Yuriy had flipped him for the rights to the room and lost. Luckily, Yuriy snagged a one bedroom at the last minute in the same complex. He even got a roommate, some Asian guy…the name eluded Kai at the moment though. All he could think about were the last smudges of blue on his cheeks, that boy on the bus…

"Hey Yuriy, guess what Kai did!"

And Boris…on the phone talking to Yuriy. Yeah, he couldn't get that mocking tone out of his head. It burned.

Kai finished cleaning and stepped into the shower. The running water eventually drowned out Boris and his snickering. It felt so good.

**ooo**

Kai was only too happy to get up a bit earlier the next morning. Boris wasn't fond of the sunrise, but he could never be too careful. Besides, he already planned on going to see Yuriy to do some damage control; surely he'd get his day's worth of humiliation from the redhead. Forgoing his scarf, Kai grabbed a large jacket and left, accidentally slamming the door on his way out.

Incidentally, Yuriy's apartment wasn't too far from his. Down a flight of stairs and around a corner, apartment 23 was conveniently located in front of the parking lot of the complex. He knocked rather loudly considering the time of day. However, Kai knew Yuriy had work, so he had to be somewhat conscious by now. His knocking grew to a banging before a bemused redhead opened the door, a fitting grin on his face.

"…Hey there, stud," Yuriy said.

Taking a quick survey of the apartment, Kai crossed his arms and replied in Russian, "Asshole." He couldn't be too sure where the Asian roommate was, but he didn't want to take the chance of having anyone else hear about his embarrassment, or rather, understand it.

To his credit, Yuriy picked up his mother tongue as well. "Boris told me someone groped a poor boy who _fell_ for…I mean, on top of him…" he said with a laugh.

"And you believe his lewd version?"

Yuriy didn't miss a beat. "Hell yes."

Kai glared at him; at least he wasn't speaking too loudly. "Just who returned your glasses to you?"

Suppressing his chuckles, Yuriy shrugged. "You didn't have to. I'm sure Rei would have scurried around and found them eventually," he said. "He made me a cake. Oh how my roommate loves me so…"

"Wrapping him around your finger already?" Kai wouldn't put it past him, Yuriy's fame came from his manipulation skills; at least, that's how it was in high school. Those were dark times, for everyone other than him and Boris anyway.

Yuriy smirked. "Why do you think the worst of me?" He waved his hand about, pushing the notion away. "Rei's a nice guy; I wouldn't take advantage of him."

"Yet."

"No, he really is a good guy. Couldn't do it," Yuriy said as he leaned against the doorframe. "He's going to do something for you, by the way,"

"Why?"

"I told him he owed you his ass for bringing my glasses back," he smiled. "You're welcome."

Kai turned to leave. "Stop corrupting him," he stuffed his hands into his pocket. "I don't want anything,"

"It's your problem," he said. Glancing at the clock, Yuriy stretched and motioned Kai inside. "Time for work. Want a lift?"

"I'm not going to accept any invitations for you to taunt me more, so no," he said as he watched Yuriy go around for his books and bag.

"You're no fun, Kai. Seriously. Loosen up."

"I'm leaving," he said.

"Hold your high horse already!" Yuriy grabbed his water bottle off the table and got his keys ready. Locking up, he pushed Kai in the general direction of his car. "College is the glorious time in our adolescence where we can explore our opportunities and make complete asses of ourselves. Live it, Hiwatari," he said.

Although he was sure Yuriy's teasing would start again once they were driving, Kai got into the car. He did not want to take the bus today. He wasn't worried about seeing that boy again but…yeah, he did not want to take the bus today.

"Just drive," he muttered.

Biting back his amusement, Yuriy put the key into the ignition and they left apartment 23.

**ooo**

Masterpieces of English Literature, from 1640 to 1832, was, Kai decided, the "absolute waste of time" class of his quarter. He decided this two minutes after he left the lecture hall and four minutes prior to buying a cup of organic coffee to wake him up. Beverages weren't allowed on the bus, so Kai had to walk back to the apartment…not that he minded. Although he conceded to taking the bus tomorrow, he would have to.

He deliberately picked up the pace as he neared the complex. There was a Classics Anthology and Guide to Proper Language textbook weighing on his back that Kai was dying to get rid of. Fishing out his keys, Kai rounded the corner and climbed the stairs two at a time. By the time his key was in the lock, the door gave in. Boris met him with a smirk. Not good.

"Hello Hiwatari,"

"Leaving?" he hoped.

"Unfortunately," Boris stepped around Kai with his backpack hanging off his shoulder. "Wish I could stay to see your reaction," he said. "Have fun."

Kai watched Boris leave with a raised brow. If Boris was remotely happy about something, it either involved some form of destruction, or Kai's pride was about to take another blow.

"Dear Lord…" Kai muttered as he cautiously stepped inside. He stood still by the shoe rack and scanned the apartment. Nothing was amiss, but something new was on the kitchen counter. Round and golden brown, Kai approached the cake with increasing suspicion. Boris would sooner sing Christmas carols in a thong than bake a cake, even if it was to hide a bomb inside it, he wouldn't do it.

He dropped his book bag to the left and gave the plate the cake sat on a spin. Catching a whiff of the strange aroma, Kai lifted it up and a note fell from the bottom.

_Thanks, Kai.  
-Rei_

Apparently, Yuriy's "nice guy" roommate could bake. Kai visibly relaxed. He went around the counter and began pulling out utensils. As long as it wasn't a bomb, and Boris had nothing to do with it, he could take a chance. That and, he also needed something to get the organic caffeine taste out of his mouth.

Slicing himself a small piece, Kai put his coffee aside and smelled the cake again. He knew that smell.

He tore a bit off with a fork and tasted it.

"…Hm,"

Kai was fairly sure he'd never had this particular one before, but he knew it was vodka. It was pretty strong, almost like the type Boris would use whenever something truly pissed him off. Kai took another bite and then went to get some water. It was strong.

Taking a few sips, he tapped the note and slid it off to the side with the pad of his finger. Yuriy's roommate didn't just know how to bake, he knew how to bake with heavy vodka. Kai smirked, picked up the plate and took it to the couch. He had to give Rei credit, it was well-deserved.

**ooo**

Boris wasn't in any sort of pleasant mood when he returned that night. At least, judging by the state of the living room the following morning, that was Kai's best guess. Textbooks and binders were strewn about the floor, snapped pencil pieces lay next to two gnawed pen caps, a few unmarked bottles were still dripping alcohol into the sink and the Play Station 3 was pulled out with the power button still glowing. Boris must have tried studying.

The door to said person's room was slightly ajar. Against his better judgment, Kai looked in just to make sure Boris had tried to kill himself over a term paper or whatever he had attempted to complete.

Kai could smell the hangover as soon as he stepped in. He pinched the bridge of his nose and backed away. He could handle alcohol, but this was overwhelming. Kai guessed that Boris had brought in something to smoke as well. It would explain the smoke detector (or what remained of it) on the floor. To his surprise, Kai also saw a plate with pieces of cake on it lying by the nightstand.

"He'd eat a tofu cake if it was spiked," he muttered.

Kai left the door open on his way out. Whether Boris wanted it or not, he needed fresh air. It was ten minutes to eight. Careful not to step in any of the mess, Kai maneuvered his way to the front door and left. He was taking the bus today. If the boy was there, so be it. He was taking the bus.

**ooo**

He was on the bus.

Kai tried not to look (not that he needed to try because he was _not_ looking), but there he was, standing near the front of the bus. The boy that kindly pointed out that his face paint did not match the school colors…after he had fallen on top of him.

'Just two more stops,' he told himself.

And two more stops passed by. Now Kai was getting up and the boy was leaving before him. He walked as slowly as he felt was casual, until he realized that the boy lived in the same area of the complex as he did.

'It doesn't matter.'

Kai continued on his way until he stepped on something hard and slid forward. He caught his footing quickly and looked down. Keys. He had stepped on someone's set of keys. Kai picked them up and noted the complex's laundry room key. So they belonged to someone who also…lived here…

Kai glanced around, no one else was walking in the direction he and the other boy had gone. Since he highly doubted these had been sitting around, Kai swallowed the frustratingly nauseous feeling in his stomach and went to do his good deed for the day. Picking up the pace, he crossed the street, passed a few apartments and entered the parking lot. He spotted the boy two seconds later, searching through his pockets and palming the door of apartment 23.

Yuriy's apartment.

Yuriy's apartment that he shared with…an Asian…guy.

Kai didn't remember walking up to him, but his body obviously did it for him as his brain was slowly putting everything (painfully) together.

"Come…on…" the other boy said.

And as the boy turned around and Kai automatically held out the ring of keys, his brain clicked. 'Rei.' Although what came out of his mouth was, "Yours?"

Kai didn't have the capacity to wonder why Rei wasn't responding. But after he had gotten over the fact that the boy who had fallen on top of him and then remarked about his facial markings was one-in-the-same as the boy who had ingeniously infused a bundt cake with top grade liquor, he hardened his gaze and jingled the keys.

Rei snapped out of his reverie and took the keys, and then he proceeded to think some more.

Kai raised a brow. "Thanks?"

Rei went and thought again. Kai had to wonder about him. Two images of the boy before him continued a small clash in his mind. He wasn't sure which was real.

"…Thank you," Rei finally said. "Um…about the other day. I'm sorry. On the bus, things…just got out of hand."

Kai crossed his arms. "I could tell."

"Well, we'll probably see each other at the stop again, and I didn't want things to be weird so…"

"I get it; it's fine," he said. Kai figured there wasn't anything more convincing than what was before him. What did it matter? He was just Yuriy's roommate. He turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Kai stopped. Against his better judgment, he stopped and waited.

"You live here, right? Upstairs?"

"Your point?"

"Watch your step. They're painting the hand rails in the stairwell. Wouldn't want to, you know, get paint on…or anything," he said as he motioned toward his own cheek.

It was, Kai believed, the worst thing he could have said. Considering Rei's track record, bringing up paint of all things, was a no-no. If anything, this should have sealed his opinion of the flustering-Rei, and yet there was something endearing about the absurdity of it all and at that moment Kai felt his gaze easing up and a smirk coming to his lips. Maybe it was because his Masterpieces of English Lit discussion had drained all reasonable thought out of him, or it could have been a residual effect from the all the liquor fumes from that morning, but Kai settled on the idea of a clumsy, street-smart Rei and left it at that. He met Rei's eyes one more time and then continued on his way.

He went around the laundry room, took the stairs one by one, and ran into Salima. Kai quickly connected Salima to his biology class and subsequently, his biology lab assignment, and nodded absentmindedly as she went on about their first experiment and led him into her apartment.

He acknowledged her roommate, Kane, as he passed him in the kitchen, and then sat down and took out his lab notebook. Salima opened the textbook and pointed out the problem and read it aloud. She was talking about the properties of silver, but Kai had to admit he was only thinking about gold.

**ooo**

Masterpieces of English Literature, from 1640 to 1832. Unless you love it, do not take it. And to be clear, Kai had the lecture the day Rei left the cake and discussion (which is a smaller group designed to clarify topics not covered in lecture) for the same class the next day.

Oh, and organic coffee is yum.

---

I hope that wasn't too confusing; and I definitely will not be doing this every three chapters (or ever again). I just wanted to give Kai's perspective on the opening events between him and Rei since he hardly showed up. For the most part, the rest of the story will be following Rei and what he experiences.

Thanks for all the reviews! They cheered me out of a slump I got into after a research paper I had to do. Please review again if you liked anything about this chapter! Or if you just want to say 'hi' because that's cool, too.

Much love,  
Sleepy Sheep G.


	5. The Accident

This one will be kind of short, very sorry (despite the length, it's not very dense). The quarter is starting to end, so I have plenty of essays and group assignments to do. Hopefully it won't hurt my story too much.

Oh, and the last chapter didn't count as a "stop" because it didn't advance the plot, so this is the fourth stop, fifth chapter overall. Anyway…Enjoy.

_G on Alvarado_  
Fourth Stop – The Accident  
Disclaimer: I do not (nor do I foresee to ever) own Beyblade. …wallowing…

**ooo**

It wasn't that he didn't have an excessive amount of work to do or notes to read, Rei simply did not feel like being studious. That was fine, especially when he was alone in his apartment, free to do whatever he wanted, without anyone to bother him. Unfortunately, nothing was really on at 5 o'clock so he made himself comfortable on the futon and settled for a rerun of an old scary movie.

It was a classic with a family getting lost in a seemingly ordinary building, looking for an exit. The power goes out. One, two, three members "disappear". The last character, a little girl, starts hearing strange noises…

Rei chewed on his Skittles slowly (Max produced four more bags when they got out of the car and happily gave them away). He had seen this movie before when he was younger. Getting lost in a building? Come on. Bring out the zombies and bacteria that infect dogs, even a deep plot where the enemy is actually a split personality within the protagonist. This was child's play.

"Better not go in there…" Rei muttered.

The girl went into the basement of the building.

"Of all the places. Smart…"

More noises. She drops her flashlight as something slithers over her Mary Janes. She whimpers, more clanking as bottles and shelves crashed against the cement floor.

"Run, dammit," he said as he sucked on a purple Skittle.

The girl turns around and once more, the sounds echo, she starts crying, the light from her flashlight blinks erratically, the orchestrated music crescendos…

The girl screamed: "AHHH – !"

**KRUNK KRUNK**

"-Hoh, shit!" Rei sprang from the futon, his Skittles danced out of the bag, littering the floor.

KRUNK KRUNK

Rei clutched the bag to his chest, reached for the remote and fumbled at the buttons, eventually turning the movie off.

KRUNK KRUNK KRUNK

The blinds weren't open, but the fading light from the sun barely illuminated anything from the outside. Someone was at the door. He didn't want to look.

'Damn old-school movie…' he thought as the knocking continued. 'If it was about mutated vampires or something this wouldn't be a problem…'

KRUNK KRUNK

Rei quietly sat against the futon again and waited. Only the kitchen light was on, maybe if he waited long enough, the person would assume no one was home and leave.

Thankfully, the pounding stopped about a minute later. Rei put the bag of Skittles down on the floor. His heart slowed down in gratitude.

…_MAKIOKOSE IMA KISEKI BOKURA NO JIDAI E_

Rei nearly fell off the futon. He knew his poor heart was giving up. His cell phone's ring tone continued to play as he picked it up from the coffee table. He checked the caller and then brought the phone to his ear.

"H-Hey, Yuriy…" he tried to steady his voice. "Need something?"

"Are you home?"

Rei looked around. "Yes?"

There was a pause, and then: "Open the door, idiot, it's Boris."

The line went dead. Rei stood up, dumbfounded, went to the door and unlocked it. Sure enough, there he was, the guy from upstairs, holding an empty plate in one hand and his cell phone in the other.

"What's your problem?" he asked, putting the phone away. "Y'hear a knock, you open the door, don't you?"

Rei opened his mouth, but closed it again. Nothing he could say would improve the situation.

Boris handed him the plate, which Rei took silently. "We didn't throw it out," he said. "Kai ate it," Boris turned to leave. "Was probably the vodka…"

Rei wasted no time closing the door and locking it twice. He quickly turned the TV back on, changed the channel to a quirky kids' cartoon show and went to put the plate in the sink. As he absorbed what had happened and urged his heart to beat normally, something sticky caught onto his finger. He picked up the plate again and removed a piece of paper taped to the bottom.

_You're welcome,_

_Kai._

Rei stuck the note to the refrigerator and started washing the plate along with his other dishes. Afterwards, he picked up the candy he spilled on the carpet. Even after that, as he watched the rest of the cartoon about multi-colored bunnies, his heart didn't slow down.

**ooo**

"You didn't have to come with me, Mao. I'm sure you have better things to do," Rei said in a whisper.

"It's fine, Rei. Just because Rai couldn't make it doesn't mean I'd skip out on you," she said.

Rei pulled a few more books from the shelves and brought them to a table by the window. Mao sat down across from him with her laptop and a few notebooks. It was the weekend and like all the other cool kids, they were in the campus' main library. Originally, Rai had suggested that the three of them go and help Rei with his research project, but somehow, he had forgotten about a prior engagement and couldn't make it. That conveniently left Rei and Mao together, in the library…of all the luck.

"I'm going to photocopy these," Rei said, picking out two books and his wallet.

"Want me to go with?"

"It's ok, just watch my stuff,"

Rei walked around some shelves and entered a small nook in the wall. He arranged the book face down, slipped some coins into the machine and waited as his articles printed out from the side. He had narrowed it down to three birds and planned on picking one at the apartment after some thought.

When Rei returned, Mao was idly flipping through her notes, sipping a bottled soft drink with a straw. She looked up and put her materials aside when Rei sat down.

"Finished?"

"Yeah, I just need to hand-copy some things for the bibliography," he said.

Mao smiled and started packing her things. Rei had agreed beforehand to take her out for ice cream after they were done. It was a warm day, not humid, perfect for a double scoop of vanilla on a sugary cone.

"Promise you won't tell Rai?"

Rei didn't glance up, but nodded as he searched for the publisher of a text. "Sure. What won't I tell Rai?"

"A guy in the dorm asked me out,"

He paused, but quickly continued. "Oh?"

"He wants to take me out for lunch tomorrow. I said yes."

The lead of his mechanical pencil snapped. His eyes met hers. "Seriously?"

She grinned, very pleased with herself. "Of course! I'm not turning down a free meal," she rested her chin on the palms of her hands. "We're going to that bakery by the movie theatre. Fancy, huh?"

Rei clicked the top of his pencil, urging out more lead than he needed, and then went back to writing. "Yeah, I guess…never heard of the place," he closed the book and picked at the next one. "Do you have any idea what Rai would say?"

Mao got up and scooted into the seat next to him. She tugged on the red sash around his waist and lowered her voice. "Well that's why I said you have to promise! I know Rai would blow an artery about it," she sighed and twirled the fabric around her finger. "He's just protective…but I kind of like this guy."

Rei leaned his head toward her, but kept his eyes on the paper. His writing was getting messy.

"Tall, dark and handsome, can't ask for more," she said. "And what's the point of leaving the village and coming to the city if I can't date around? Such a pain," she mumbled. "Everyone back home is either related to me or old and wrinkly. The guys here, they're actually my age! And they're hot. There's no way I'm skipping out just because Rai's constantly on my back about it."

Rei had to agree, this newfound freedom was awfully tempting. He really couldn't blame Mao for breaking loose.

'Dating? But Rai wants…'

He wasn't sure if it was the best thing to bring up, but…

"Hot guys, huh? What about me?"

Mao paused. Rei stopped writing.

"Oh Rei," she laughed and then hugged him slowly. "You'll always be my favorite!" She patted his head. "I could never let a little cutie like you go, so don't worry about it."

Rei let himself be fawned over, careful not to let her get carried away and draw unnecessary attention. She released him soon enough though, and started describing this mystery man as he finished copying lines into his notes. As they put the books away and walked out of the library, Mao hinted that there were other guys from the dorm who would become potential dates in the future. Rai's vision of toasting a wedded Rei and Mao drifted farther and farther away if this was any indication.

'It's only college, something could still turn up later,' Rei thought.

It was always possible Mao would date around to get it out of her system, but end up falling back on reliable Rei when it was time to settle down. Even Rai said it was time to experiment, so Rei knew he had every right to invite people out to fancy cafes, too. But then…

'Even if I wanted to date…who would I…'

"Rei, I may go for a sundae, want to split one with me?" She asked, looping her arm around Rei's.

He shrugged a smile, clearly not paying much attention. Mao led the way to the ice cream parlor anyway, leaving Rei plenty of time to think.

**ooo**

Despite all of his insisting, Mao would not let Rei take her back to the dormitory. She even waited with him at the bus terminal and made him get on his own bus before walking back by herself. Rei leaned back in his seat. She must have figured it was the least she could do. Rei did pay for her massive sundae ("We'll have five scoops please! And lots of sprinkles!"), which he did not eat a lot of. He wasn't very partial to so many flavors converging into a brown-ish mix.

She promised to tell him all about her "date" and made him swear once more not to tell Rai. Rei couldn't tell if she felt guilty or not, but all the same, he thought it was best not to worry his friend either. Rai had such high hopes for their union, he didn't want to upset him with news about one date.

Still, knowing that Mao wasn't very interested in going out with him at the moment pleased Rei. He didn't love her, and trying to fall in love over lunches and movies wasn't very appealing. And if a five scoop sundae eaten with two spoons under the guise of an entire parlor of elderly couples didn't set the mood, nothing else would.

"Alvarado!" the bus driver yelled.

Rei zipped up his backpack, slung it over his shoulder and waited for the bus to stop. He got off with a few other people and started walking back to the apartment. As he waited for the cars to pass at the end of the sidewalk, he saw a head of blue hair across the street. He moved around until he got a good view. It was Kane, walking back to the complex with an arm full of grocery bags.

Rei smiled. He hadn't seen his mahogany-eyed bus-mate since yesterday. He cupped his hands around his mouth, "KA – !!"

_VRRRRRRR_

Rei shivered and searched his pockets. After what happened before, he had switched his cell phone to vibrate.

_VRRRR – _

"Hello?"

"Hey Rei,"

"Yuriy? Oh, hi…" Rei looked up, searching for Kane. There was no sign of him. He had already entered the complex.

"Well don't sound too excited," Yuriy said in a huff.

"I just got off the bus. Sorry. What's up?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm driving back from work, but there's a lot of traffic here. The road is really backed up," he said. Rei believed him; he could hear frustrated honking and complaining from Yuriy's end. "There's probably been an accident. I'll be late."

"All right. It's not like I'm going to sleep early or anything,"

"Just letting you know. Bye."

"Bye, Yuriy," Rei said as he hung up.

He glanced around before sprinting across the street and into his apartment. As he unloaded his books and pens, he thought about what to make for dinner and planned on saving some for Yuriy. It was only six, he had plenty of time.

**ooo**

Rei didn't eat much dinner. After that sundae, he had spoiled his appetite. A large portion of the meal was set aside on the counter for Yuriy, who was now an hour overdue. Rei was slightly worried. How big of an accident could there have been to block up traffic for this long?

He nervously cleaned up the apartment. It wasn't even that messy to begin with, but he liked keeping his hands busy. Textbooks returned to the shelf, movies were stored under the TV stand, and their miscellaneous items were organized so that the coffee table surface could actually be seen. Rei paused as he picked up Yuriy's glasses case and produced a lopsided smile.

'Stupid case,'

KRUNK KRUNK

Rei clasped the case tightly. Not again.

KRUNK RKUNK KRUNK

Steeling himself, Rei peered through the blinds cautiously…

"Rei, open the damn door!"

"B-Boris?"

Rei unlocked the bolt, grabbed the door knob and swung it open. The guy on the other side looked none too pleased.

"Sorry, I wasn't sure who – "

He caught Rei's wrist and pulled. "Forget it, let's go!"

"Go?" Rei resisted. "Go where?!"

"Yuriy's been in an accident; hospital, now!"

"W-Wait! You've got it wrong. Yuriy's…stuck in traffic because of an accident, he's not – "

"The hospital called. Yuriy's in their care," he said.

Rei's eyes widened considerably. "He was…Yuriy's hurt?"

Boris tugged. "They said he's stable now, but they wouldn't tell me more. Come on, he'll want you there, too!"

Out of shock, the raven-haired boy let himself get pulled over the threshold. Brois yelled at him to get his things and lock up, waiting impatiently as Rei returned to his senses and scurried around. He grabbed his wallet and a coat, turned off the lights and locked the door. Boris pointed out his car and they got in.

"It should take us 15 minutes to get to the hospital. Kai's already on his way," he said. The car started up and Rei barely had time to buckle his seatbelt before they were on the street.

'He said stable…Yuriy's stable so he's ok…' Rei reasoned with himself as Boris did not seem very talkative. 'He's ok…he's stable…' Rei continued to run those words through his head, unknowingly clutching Yuriy's glasses case tighter and tighter. Boris turned on the radio and news about the traffic accident drowned out the silence. Rei's mind soon blanked out as they ran a yellow light at the main campus intersection and made their way to the hospital.

**ooo**

Mary Janes is another name for a strap shoe, commonly worn by young girls

And whoever guesses what song I chose for Rei's ring tone gets a cookie!

--

And that's my first semi-cliff. Yay? Sorry, I know not much happened, but I'm really getting swamped with school work. Hopefully I can flesh out the next chapter a bit more…although then I'll be in Finals-prep-mode. Guh, I'm getting too old for this…

Thanks for all the reviews! They're wonderful and have amazing cheer-uping abilities! Please review again if you liked anything about this chapter (as awkward as it was). Comments are always appreciated. See you in chapter 6!

Sleepy Sheep G.


	6. The Catalyst

I'm on time! … After being a couple weeks overdue. I fleshed out this chapter as some kind of apology, if that counts for anything. Oh, and it's my last "obligatory" chapter. Obviously I'll write a few more, we're just getting started here.

A reviewer mentioned bundt cake and how it shouldn't have any alcohol in it since it would have evaporated. While alcohol does cook out, there is always some residual which imbues itself in the other food and gives it that flavor. Thanks for bringing that up, I forgot to add that in.

On to the chapter! Enjoy!

_G on Alvarado_  
Fifth Stop – The Catalyst  
Disclaimer: I do not (nor do I foresee to ever) own Beyblade. It saddens me so…

**ooo**

"Stay here – I mean it! Sit!"

Boris sat Rei down as soon as they stepped into the emergency room of the hospital. He wasn't fussing much; like a one of those moveable dolls, Rei did as he was told as he wasn't able to completely function yet. He was still clutching Yuriy's glasses' case. His fingerprints practically engraved in the leather lining.

"I'll see what's going on. Don't move," he said.

Rei kept his head low, turning the case over and over. If he had been worried before (and he had been), he was getting worse seeing Boris this way. He hadn't known him long, but Boris didn't seem like the type to make a fuss over someone's health. Rei opened the case, took out the glasses and held them lightly.

'Keep your hands busy…Yuriy's ok…keep your hands busy…don't move…'

Rei gently slid the frames on, ignoring the negative effects brought upon his eyes. He needed Yuriy to come out and tell him he was being stupid.

"Let's go," Boris said as he pulled Rei out of his seat. "Yuriy's going into surgery, the idiot broke his ribs and shit,"

Rei's eyes widened. Surgery? Broken ribs? What happened?

The other boy pulled Rei past a heavy door and up a few flights of stairs. Apparently Yuriy was about to be operated on. Their footsteps flew across the hallway. Yuriy's glasses bounced against the bridge of Rei's nose. Boris' hand grasped his so tightly his fingers were getting numb. When they finally stopped, Rei's vision was blurry. It only got worse when Yuriy's still body was wheeled out of a room and further down the hall, away from both of them.

Boris released his hand and got the attention of a nurse. Rei slowed to a stop and tugged the glasses off. As he blinked to clear his vision, he could finally make out Yuriy's form. There were plenty of bandages, but most were soaked to match the color of his hair. Rei unconsciously walked forward, hoping to reach his roommate.

"We can't," Boris said as he grabbed Rei's outstretched arm.

"Boris?" Rei paused.

"…We could, but we're not family," he muttered. "We have to wait here."

Boris held onto his arm, his hand drifting down to the tips of Rei's fingers as he led them both to a small waiting area near the operating room. Rei sat down without question and tucked Yuriy's glasses back into the case. Boris took a seat a little away from him, his eyes set on the gently swinging doors that led to the where Yuriy was. Neither said anything, but knowing that someone else shared his worry, Rei did not feel alone.

**ooo**

An hour or so passed. Boris' gaze fixed on the clock on the wall, but nothing really registered. Rei fell asleep a while ago. His head was leaning precariously toward Boris' shoulder. Aside from tapping his foot impatiently against the cold linoleum floor, the older boy made sure that he did not become Rei's pillow.

A new set of foot steps broke the monotonous ticking of the clock. Boris did not look up.

"Where've you been?" he asked.

Dark sneakers stopped. A white scarf slowly came to a halt against the wearer's thigh. Blue fins were smudged and mahogany eyes were just exhausted enough to show their fatigue. Kai crossed his arms and gave a light shrug.

"I was here before you," he ignored the silent offer to take a seat and remained where he stood. "My grandfather called. Suzaku's finally arrived on campus. I had to settle some things with him about her."

"He won?"

"For now," Kai admitted. "She'll be transferred to one of the habitats tomorrow," his eyes drifted to Rei.

"I rather have him sulking here than running around the complex worrying about Yuriy," Boris said. "He seems like the type to get anxious when people don't come home."

Kai closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose. It had been a long night. "Yeah…he does seem the type."

One of the operating room doors opened and a nurse stepped out. She walked over to the seating area with her hands folded in front of her. Both boys immediately turned to her for an answer.

"Everything went well. Your friend is stable. He'll have to stay in the hospital under observation for a few days though."

Boris stood. "Can we see him?"

She paused, but eventually nodded. "One at a time, briefly." She walked down the hall, ready to lead one of them to the redhead. Boris glanced at Kai, who motioned for him to go first by finally taking a seat next to Rei. Boris hurried after the nurse.

Kai loosened his scarf and tried to make himself comfortable. However, hospital sofas were as welcoming as cement blocks. As he shuffled in his seat, a slight weight fell onto his shoulder. Dark locks blocked most of his face from view, but Rei had obviously made himself comfy on the other boy's shoulder. Kai gently nudged Rei in hopes of waking him…to no avail. He carefully supported the boy's head in his hands, got up, and laid him down across another cushion. Then he went to the other side and sat down again. Rei seemed to be more at ease lying down because, in his sleep, he took the liberty of stretching his legs…across Kai's lap.

Kai took in his dilemma, debating between letting things be or throwing Rei's legs off of him…but that would inevitably wake the boy up and he'd start worrying over Yuriy again. Taking up the lesser of the evils, he placed a hand on Rei's jean-covered calf and sighed. He really did not have the energy either way.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Kai turned his head and found Boris staring at him. Apparently he was done visiting Yuriy.

Kai gingerly escaped from his place on the sofa and adjusted his scarf. "I guess Yuriy won't be waking up soon," he said, completely avoiding a potentially embarrassing situation. "I'm going to settle things with my grandfather; you leaving?"

"I'll meet you back at the apartment. I have to wake Rei first," Boris muttered.

Kai placed his hands in his pockets and headed for the stairs. Boris frowned and went to business. It took twenty long and tedious minutes before Rei was:

a) awake

b) calmed down

c) absolutely sure he did not want to see Yuriy ("He's asleep? So he wouldn't even know if we saw him? You already saw him!? Guess I don't need to see him. Should I? I'll come tomorrow…")

d) out the hospital door and in Boris' car

The ride back was another quiet one (which Boris did not mind at all). Rei almost fell asleep again, but that was when Boris decided to play his obscenely loud metal music. When they returned to the complex, Boris said Rei would have to find his own way to the hospital next time. Rei agreed. He reminded the younger boy to lock the doors and not to touch Yuriy's things, then hurried upstairs to his own apartment.

Rei hadn't had the apartment to himself overnight before. Even though Yuriy usually went to sleep before him, it felt oddly silent when Rei finally closed his eyes under his covers.

"Noiseless…"

It took a lot longer to fall asleep than he thought.

**ooo**

Rei likened his closure of the events that happened last night to how one felt when one got a bad grade on an exam, or how it felt to rip off an adhesive bandage: the immediate feeling is overwhelmingly negative, but as time went on, the heft of the emotion lessened. He knew he was almost traumatized by what happened to Yuriy, but considering how he found out and the experience he had at the hospital, it was well justified.

When he woke that morning and didn't see Yuriy, somehow, it wasn't as bad as he imagined it to be. Yuriy's life wasn't in danger; Boris said he'd be home in a few days. A bowl of cereal, a glass of orange juice and a muffin later, Rei felt that, on the whole, everything was all right.

Since he didn't have a car and no bus line went out to the hospital, Rei decided to put off visiting Yuriy until Boris agreed to take him there. He knew Boris wasn't very keen on him and that his only saving grace was the fact that he was Yuriy's (beloved) roommate, so Rei would give him a day or two before asking for a ride.

Instead, Rei decided to be productive and ventured to campus to see his AVS013 professor. He was a stout, kindly man, just beginning to beard and show white in his hair. He said that it was ok that Rei hadn't decided on an avian yet, and gave him a few book recommendations to help him along. Rei ambled outside with his bundle as another student walked in, and promptly dropped everything on the floor. His arms stung. Bird books were a lot heavier than they appeared.

As he started sorting them into his backpack another boy walked up to the professor's door. Rei didn't pay him much mind.

"Er, is someone in there?"

"Yeah, just went in. Um, it shouldn't take too long," Rei replied.

The other boy took a seat next to Rei. He seemed intent on pulling a conversation out of their situation.

"Did you go to talk about the project?"

Rei paused. "Kind of," he packed in the last book and tried to zip up. "I haven't decided on a bird yet so – "

"Me neither!" The other boy turned toward him and let his bag sag to the floor. "I know this is our final but it's a little unreasonable. Well, it's the first time I ever had to do a term paper like this, I mean,"

"It is a bit extreme," Rei said. "I guess the professor is asking a lot from non-majors,"

"Exactly! We don't all hug trees or stalk birds around campus!"

He didn't know how it happened; the boy just hit a good note. The best way to make a connection with another student is to share sentiments with an assignment. Praise or bash, it was a one-way ticket to a conversation with a complete stranger.

The other boy was quite animated in his speech. He waved his arms, made use of his wide, charming smile and let his eyes do a lot of the talking. His spiky, sky blue hair bobbed as he spoke, the strawberry-colored sunglasses nearly fell off his head five times through their exchange.

The door to the professor's office finally opened minutes later. The other student made a quick exit and Rei's conversation partner got up.

"My turn," he said as he slung his backpack strap over his shoulder. "Nice talking to you!" He extended his hand and Rei took it, hoisting himself up in the process.

"Same,"

"Hey, maybe we should get a bunch of people together and go hardcore. We can snag some binoculars and hunt birds down on campus," he said.

Rei smirked and gingerly slid on his backpack. "Sounds like a plan,"

The boy grabbed the doorknob and gave a light wave. "We'll catch up in class!"

Rei returned a semi-wave as the door closed and then started walking to the exit. It amused him in a frustrating way that the longer he walked, the slower he got. He tried to take it in stride.

**ooo**

It took Rei two stops before he was able to steal a seat on the bus. It was just for his backpack really, but no one else seemed to mind. He stood in front of it and kind of sat on it halfway through the trip.

The stop by the children's playground yielded an old friend. As he stepped on board, Rei immediately flagged him down.

"Hey bus-buddy," Rei said with a smile.

The other boy grabbed onto one of the dangling handles and acknowledged Rei with a nod. He didn't have his backpack with him, just a binder in his hand and a few pens sticking out of his cargo pocket.

"What, no scarf?" Rei asked. "If you didn't have that paint on, I wouldn't have recognized you," he joked.

"Hn," he mumbled with a shrug. "How's Yuriy?"

"Yuriy? …How did you…you know what happened?"

"We go back somewhat," Kane opened his binder and pulled out a few thin gray sheets. "And it's in the paper," he handed the bundle to Rei, who smoothed out the front page against his backpack. The front story covered last night's traffic incident, sure enough, Yuriy's name was listed among those who were injured.

"…I can't believe I missed this," Rei whispered. Then again, he never picked up the school paper, but still...

"You can keep it," Kane said. "So, how is he?"

Rei looked up and shook his head. "He'll be all right, um…he had some surgery, but he should be able to come home in a few days."

"I see,"

The bus stopped to let people off. Both boys moved about appropriately to let others pass. Rei made the mistake of backing into someone else at one point, scrambled out an apology, and then walked right into Kane. Rei sputtered, but Kane held him by the arm. This stop was right in front of a popular complex so a lot of students needed to get out. It took half a minute before the bus could move again, only to be halted by a red light. Once things were settled, Kane let go.

Rei stepped away and gave a nervous grin. Kane rolled his eyes, but the smirk that played on his lips told Rei no apology was needed. As the bus started up again, Rei pulled on the cord, signaling a stop.

"Normally Yuriy's back at the apartment by now, it'll be weird not seeing him,"

"Lonely?"

Rei got his keys out of his backpack and shrugged. "Not really, but I was just getting used to him being there," he said.

Kane looked out the window, watching as the bus approached their stop. "You can come up if you want to,"

"…Really?"

"My roommate's not in. Just for a bit I suppose,"

Rei broke out into a smile. "Yeah, sure!"

Kane caught his gaze, golden eyes were wide and lit. "There's not much to do though,"

"It's ok," he said as he slipped on his backpack. "Hey, why don't I bring up some of my work? You'll get a laugh out of this term project I have to do,"

Kane lifted one eyebrow. "Term project?"

"Yeah." They both got off the G line and started walking toward the apartment complex. "I think I'll unload some of my books at my place first," Rei said. "I'll go meet you after."

"Fine. I live in – "

"Second floor right? Near the staircase?"

Kane nodded slowly. Rei flipped through his keys and headed for his apartment. He waved as he went inside and the other boy went upstairs. Rei dropped his backpack by the coffee table and fished out his AVS binder as well as two of the smaller books. He never thought that Yuriy's accident would bring about anything good, but this was making his day. He hadn't spoken to Kane in a while and now he was going up to "study"; he didn't care if he wasn't sure why, but he was happy.

Locking up, Rei left his apartment and jogged up the staircase. Kane and Salima's apartment was just to the left, number 51. He knocked the on the door and got a tighter grip on his books. The door opened seconds later…

"Oh...er…hi,"

Rei was mildly surprised. It was the boy he met outside of their professor's office. 'Kane has two roommates?' he wondered.

"Um…what are you doing here?"

"Sorry, I didn't know you lived here," Rei said as he snapped out of his stupor. Didn't Kane say that his roommate wasn't home? "I came to do some work,"

The other boy glanced at the books in Rei's arms and blinked. "Y'know, I was joking about getting together to go bird watching…"

Rei waved away his concerns. "No! Oh, er, I didn't come to do that. I just wanted to show this to Kane…I brought some other work too…"

"Kane?"

"Yeah, he's in, right?"

"…I'm…Kane,"

Rei pursed his lips together. "Isn't it confusing having two Kanes in one apartment?"

The other boy ran his hand through his hair, obviously not too comfortable with the way this was going. "It probably would be but…I'm the only Kane here,"

"What?"

"Kane, who's at the door?" a female voice called from behind. "Rei! What are you doing here?"

"Salima…" he was saved, she would clear things up. "Didn't you say Kane lived here?"

"He does," she said. "This is Kane," she pointed to the confused blue-haired boy next to her. "You said you knew him,"

Rei moved his books to his other arm. "I do! That's not him!"

"Hey, I think I know if I'm me or not!" The blue-haired boy said.

"Wait a minute…" Salima stepped forward and pushed her roommate back inside. "This is just a misunderstanding…" she crossed her arms. "Rei, who were you referring to in the first place?"

Rei sighed, wishing he had just followed Kane the moment they had gotten off the bus. "The um…he's pretty tall, wears a scarf usually…has blue markings on his face?"

Salima's roommate hit his forehead with his palm. "OH! You're talking about the guy who lives next door!" he motioned to his right with his hand. "He rooms with that light-haired guy with the attitude,"

"Kane, that's not nice!" Salima reprimanded.

"…Light-haired…Boris?" Rei muttered.

"Rei,"

All three of them looked down the hall at the source of the voice. It was the guy: tall, now with a scarf, with blue triangles on his cheeks.

Rei's grip on his books lessened. "…Kane?"

Mahogany eyes narrowed at the name. He shook his head.

Rei glanced at the door he must have come from. It was the apartment next to Salima's, number 54, where he had dropped off the bundt cake to Boris. And Boris lived with…

His books fell to the floor. "…Kai?"

**ooo**

It is entirely possible to have a friendly conversation with someone and not get their name or personal information. Yeah, college kind of rocks that (weird) way.

--

Mmph…sorry that took so long. My Spring Quarter load is heavier than I thought. If it seems disjointed, it's because I wrote the first half after submitting the fifth chapter, and then wrote the other half a day or two ago.

I'll do my best to roll out another chapter soon. Reviews are appreciated; let me know if anything tickled you the right way!

Sleepy Sheep G.


	7. The Progression

Osu! It's time for another chapter! Boy, it's a good thing I start writing my next chapter immediately after submitting because apparently I take LONG breaks in between and before I know it, it's update time and I've got nothing. Once again, it shall seem disjointed, and it hasn't been proofed by anyone other than me. My apologies. I did my best to (gently) push things forward, Enjoy!

_G on Alvarado_  
Sixth Stop – The Progression  
Disclaimer: I do not (nor do I foresee to ever) own Beyblade.

**ooo**

Kai set the glass of water onto the coffee table and sat down. Rei paused before reaching for the glass and taking a small sip. He quietly thanked him for the drink and handled it gingerly. Leaning back, Rei took a precarious glance to his left, where Kai sat, unmoving, on the furthest most point of the couch. His AVS binder and books sat between them. The TV wasn't on. All of the windows and blinds were closed.

"K…" Rei closed his mouth and took another sip.

This had to be the most awkward situation ever known to mankind. No, even before that…the moment before the meteor hit the dinosaurs was less tense than this. The Big Bang that formed the planets was no more than a balloon popping in comparison to—

"Want more?"

Rei pulled the glass away from his mouth. He had finished it all. He had been holding an empty cup to his lips, for several seconds. Kai had noticed; and Rei had not. Good Lord…

"Er," he placed the glass on the coffee table and shrank back into the couch. "Yeah, thanks."

Kai got up, took the glass and went into the kitchen.

Rei greatly resisted the urge to run. He gripped the couch cushion and straightened in his seat. 'Why me? Of all the things that could have happened…and all the people it could have happened to!' His inner monologue was deafening. He almost wished Kai hadn't pulled him inside a few minutes ago.

_His books fell to the floor. "…Kai?"_

_Salima stepped out and dragged Kane with her. "Hi Kai. Do you know Rei?"_

_Rei blinked out of his stupor, bent down and picked up his things. 'Kane is Kai? No…Kai was always Kai… He was always…'_

"_Maybe we can straighten this out now," she suggested. "Want to come in?"_

_Kai strode forward as Rei stood up. He took the younger boy by the wrist. "It was just a mistake, forget about it." With that, Kai guided Rei to his apartment and closed the door. _

_Kane sighed and went back in. "Can't believe Rei mistook him for me…"_

_Salima raised a brow. "Yup, hard to believe."_

Kai set the glass down again, to which Rei mumbled a thanks. How was he supposed to strike a conversation after that mishap? The worst part was, there was no way out. Takao and Max still had class, they wouldn't call him. Kyouju never called. Yuriy was in the hospital. There was no one to bail him out.

Rei started to weigh his options…what was worse: sitting in silence or talking about the misunderstanding. Yeah, it wasn't looking too good…

"Why did you call me Kane?"

Rei started. He looked at Kai, who hadn't moved an inch from his spot.

"…Well…" he started. He paused as his stream of consciousness played out. 'Well it all started when I saw you go into Salima's apartment and then I asked her who her roommate was, and I never actually knew I was mistaken because I never called you by your name and no one else ever called your name when you were there so I never knew you were…you…' Rei knew he wouldn't say that; and even if he had time to rephrase that, it probably wouldn't sound any better.

Kai glanced at him, the small slit of mahogany that met his gold silently said: "Well?"

Rei exhaled. "…I…it just slipped," he said. There was no way he was going to attempt to explain the long road that led him to this very moment. That would be the second most awkward situation ever known to mankind.

Kai seemed to accept that answer as he shrugged and got up. Surely he must have known it was more than just a slip of the tongue. The way Rei had acted then and now was proof of an underlying problem.

Rei wanted to break the glass of water…with his hand…if only to have an excuse to get out of that apartment. He practically melted into the seat cushions.

Kai went from the kitchen to the bedroom, excusing himself quietly. Rei took the opportunity to sulk a bit more openly. He fell onto the couch and took out his cell phone. Willing it to save him, Rei should not have been so surprised when –

_MAKIOKOSE IMA KISEKI BOKURA NO JIDAI E_

– the phone responded to his wishes. Honestly, the world did not hate him that much.

Unfortunately, Rei was surprised and lost the grip he had on the device. It jumped onto the coffee table, narrowly missed hitting his drink, and then slid to the floor. He scrambled after it and brought it up to his ear.

"Yes?!"

"…Rei? Are you all right?"

"Mao?" Rei took a moment to right himself, settling into a cross-legged position against the couch. "What is it?"

"Oh well, and I know you're probably going to say no, but I need some help and I was wondering if – "

"Sure! OK!" he said quickly. The sound of the door opening influenced him somewhat. If Kai heard this, he'd have a valid reason to go. "I'll meet you at your place,"

"No, um…actually if you want to it's fine," she said.

"Yeah, it's fine. I'll be right there," he hung up soon after and quickly stood.

Kai moved into the kitchen, barely glancing as Rei started gathering his things. When he was done, he headed for the door, shuffling his feet.

"My friend needs help with something," he said. "I should get going." He jiggled the handle of the door, his composure faltering as it didn't open.

Somehow striding over without a sound, Kai stood behind Rei and gave the handle a sharp tug upward and then pushed it out. The door opened. Rei felt Kai's breath on his neck more than the healthy breeze outside.

Stepping out, Rei paused, tucked his books under one arm and gave a shaky smile. "Thanks for the water, bye!" Not waiting for a response, Rei made a dash for the staircase. He'd dump his materials and bike to Mao's. He didn't even want to consider what could happen if he waited for the G Line.

Behind, Kai stood at the threshold. When he saw Rei pedaling out of the parking lot, he waited until the boy was out of site and then went back inside.

**ooo**

"Thanks for coming so quickly Rei. I didn't think you'd want to at all," Mao said.

Rei struggled with the number of hangers and clothes he held in his arms, barely able to see his feet to make sure he wasn't stepping on anything.

"You're so sweet, unlike Rai. Well, I didn't ask him, but you know he'd refuse. He's such a boy," she muttered, tossing one more article of clothing onto Rei's pile.

"Probably…can't believe you need all this for one date. Or that you're dating…"

"I'm not a little girl, Rei!" she reprimanded him, purposefully dragging the boy through a throng of giggling ladies into the sale section.

Rei tried to stay close to Mao without getting in anyone's way. Sale shoppers were vicious. "Rai's not going to like this…"

"Oh I know, that's why you're going to keep him busy," she said.

"What?!"

Mao quickly placed another shirt across Rei's shoulder and patted his cheek. "Come on, it's not like you guys can't manage one night," she turned around and surveyed the rack. "You'll probably order some pizza, watch old kung-fu movies, talk about how incorrectly the actors have performed the moves…"

"It's not always kung-fu…" Rei mumbled.

"Please? It's just for tonight," she reasoned.

"Tonight?! You never said – "

Mao sighed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Why do you think I asked you out just now? The guy down the hall said he's been dying to take me to a club so I said yes!"

Rei tried to organize the cache of clothing, will little success. "The guy…down the hall?"

"If I told you his name, you'd tell Rai and Mr. Guy down the hall would become Mr. Guy with no teeth," Mao said, a threateningly glare targeting Rei maliciously.

"…Right…" he tailed the pink-haired girl as she weaved toward the dressing room. "Rai aside, what do you think the elders would say about this? I doubt this guy is from where we live."

"Elders? Man, I hate those traditions," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Of course!" she placed her hands on her hip. "Grandfather looks up new herbal tea remedies on a laptop and he expects me to keep to an agreement of marrying someone I've never met? Or someone to unite our families? It's ridiculous, Rei," she started sorting through the shirts, tucked the ones she wanted under her arm and throwing the rest to the side.

"What can we do about it? Both our marriages have been planned out. Rai too…"

"I don't know," she conceded. Then she shrugged and shook her head. "But I won't let some tradition affect my life now, especially when we're hundreds of miles from home," Mao looked at him. "Will you, Rei?"

Rei straightened up. "Me?"

"Well yeah. Isn't there someone you like?"

Rei didn't even stop to think. If he did, he knew someone's face might accidentally pop up. "No! Um…no?"

Mao laughed, taking the last few pieces of clothing from him. "Don't worry, a sweet guy like you will sweep tons of girls off their feet!" she teased.

"Er…thanks, Mao."

She smiled, pointed at the "husband's seat" and then went into the dressing room. As he sat and waited (because he knew she would send him to get a smaller size or another color), he played with the idea that Mao actually didn't include herself in the "tons of girls" that would fall for him. She didn't want an arranged marriage either.

'Friends then?'

Rei felt more comfortable playing clothing caddy for her than he did the other day when she came over and showed off her portfolio (granted Rai's voice was in his head at the time). This was fine. Rei knew he could be a best friend for her, and he didn't even need to try hard to do it. Best friends…siblings…

"Rei! I need this in blue!"

Rei got up and went into the dressing room slowly, shielded his eyes, and took the long-sleeved shirt Mao held out from the dressing room. This he could deal with, but he had a feeling Rai would not like it. And he had to see him tonight.

'Damn…'

**ooo**

"I could do that," Rai said.

Rei paused the movie, rewound it and played it again.

"Yeah, I could definitely do that!"

"Rai, even Mao could do that," Rei said.

The older boy tugged the nearly empty pizza box away. "You don't get anymore pizza,"

Rei smirked, a silent 'touché' hung in the air as he went back to the movie. Yes, it was an old kung-fu movie and yes, they were talking about which kicks and stances they could pull off. They used to do this when they were younger; it spurred their training, as they could not accomplish jump spinning hook kicks back then.

"Y'know Rei, shouldn't you be working on that project?" Rai said. "Not that I'd kick you out, but it was kind of out of the blue,"

"Oh…" Rei picked up his drink and chewed on the straw. "I already made lots of progress, so I thought I was due for a break," he said. It wasn't a complete lie. He had arranged to meet the head of the animal department tomorrow to pick a bird; that was progress. "And uh, Yuriy is still in the hospital. It's kind of lonely over there,"

"Hm, well, that's fine," he leaned back in his chair, wiping his fingers on a crumpled napkin. His dorm was built for two people, but the other student dropped out. Rai pretty much took over, using the spare bed to house his loose papers and dirty laundry. A nicely sized TV sat on the extra desk and training weights and instant noodle packages were stored in the second closet.

"Too bad Mao went to the library to study, otherwise I could ask her to prove that she can't do that kick," Rai said.

Rei hushed his laughter. Mao told Rai she was going to the library's 24-hour reading room to finish a portfolio assignment. If Rai knew their friend was actually having a night out on the town, those two would fight like a married couple. And, of course, Rei would be off to the side recording the scuffle for blackmail purposes.

"Hey Rei,"

"Yeah?"

"How are things with…Mao?"

"Good," he said. "We're pretty good."

Rai paused, averting his gaze. "Sounds great," he mumbled. "Um…keep trying hard! Because you two are a sure thing, ok?"

"I know," he said. If he hadn't consumed nearly a third of that pizza and downed one less soda, Rei would have thought that Rai was trying to convince himself more than anyone. Why would he? Rai was the main supporter of the 'Rei and Mao campaign' as far back as the younger could remember. He wanted it to work, didn't he?

Rei held back on his questions and picked a pepperoni off of Rai's slice. It was absurd. He had simply eaten too much.

**ooo**

Rai's dormitory was a J and G line away from Rei's complex. It was fairly late when he decided to leave, but the thought of sleeping over where Rai had been keeping his laundry wasn't very appealing. He had kept Rai occupied and vouched for Mao's studying excuse, that seemed like more than enough.

He transferred from the J bus and got onto the G. It took half an hour to get back. By the time Rei was on the sidewalk of his complex the street lamps were just as bright as the moon. He adjusted to a jog, trying to get back quickly without losing too much heat.

"Hm?"

As he turned the corner, Rei saw a flash a blue enter the parking lot. It had to be Kai.

'Then again, with my string of luck, it'll probably be Kane. Or, when I say 'Kane', it'll actually be Kai,' he thought.

Rei hurried up, even if it was dark, he could tell which one it was if he got a good look. He did not want to chance it, not with what has been happening lately. After entering the parking lot Rei couldn't see anyone. It wasn't about light, no one was there.

'I hope I'm not seeing things,' he thought, walking to the side to the apartment. 'Must have been that last slice of pizza…'

"Rei?"

'Or not.' Turning, Rei spotted Kai by the staircase. He was carrying a healthy stack of mail. 'Ah, so that's where he went." They met halfway and traded greetings.

"Boris called," Kai said. "Yuriy is looking better,"

"Already?"

"Apparently," he shrugged. "He's got a physical tomorrow. You may not be alone much longer,"

"That's great!" Rei said, a smile clear on his face. "I should have called him myself, guess I forgot. I'll go visit him then…soon,"

Kai brought up the time and Rei agreed about the cold. They prepared to leave.

"You can still come up," Kai said. "If I'm not there, I'm sure Boris will be,"

Rei laughed nervously. He wasn't sure if he was ready to face Boris yet. It was uncomfortable just thinking about their expedition to the hospital. Also, he was still slightly traumatized by today's awkward afternoon.

"I'll…call first, or something." And before Rei could even think about the idiocy of that line (as he didn't have Kai's number), he waved and started to leave. "Good night, Kai."

"Hn."

Rei made his way inside. He locked the door, tapped the handle with a laugh and decided on a quick shower and lots of sleeping in.

Outside, Kai turned around and walked upstairs. "Night, Rei." He went inside and locked the door, his hand resting on the handle one moment longer before he let go.

**ooo**

I'm too tired to add my weird tidbits. Sorry for the delay, let's hope the Wave keeps going! _whoosh_ Or whatever sound a wave makes…

Reviews are appreciated, thanks for reading!

Sleepy Sheep G.


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